Branded
by Missus Lovett
Summary: First Installment. Something happened. Rape. Torture. Murder. Resurrection. Bella's left scarred after a traumatic event in her life before moving to Forks. Now, Edward seems to want to help her. But does she want to be helped? She's been branded.
1. Prologue

Branded: Prologue

THE LAST THING ON ANYONE'S MIND THAT DAY WAS THE PAIN, SEARING THROUGH HER ARM. Of course no one ever knew of the pain, but it still should had been obvious, her wringing her wrists the way she did. And of course her mother would only tell her how stupid it was to get those tattoos after she was forbidden. But what bothered Bella the most was that she was never forbidden; she never brought up the concept of a tattoo in her entire seventeen years of living. And another thing was, she didn't want these…tattoos to begin with. If her mother would only have listened to her, she wouldn't have been looked down upon. Bella had simply been at the wrong place at the wrong time.

It was clear, not vague at all. She remembered how she had begged her mother to let her go to a book signing. But the problem wasn't the book signing, it was the author. Her mother worried for Bella. Bella was one of the most normal girls, but with more of an attitude that she could take care of herself, and she could. But ever since Bella came back from the book signing, she was different. This worried her mother to the highest extent. Before she had attended the book signing, she was happy, almost smiling, but after…she wouldn't speak for weeks. She wore the same clothes, was interested in the same things, and hung out with the same people. So it wasn't a matter of 'hanging with the wrong crowd'.

So her mother passed it off as Bella being angry with her. But it wasn't that. If only her mother really knew what was happened that night…after the book signing. The chanting haunted her dreams. The man that grabbed her wrist and left his mark haunted her. And the thought of not making it out alive at that shed haunted her everything. Bella learned that ever since she had been "branded" – how she puts it – things had been happening. So her mother thought it nice to let Bella get away for a while – which is how Forks came into the picture.


	2. Chapter One

Branded: Chapter One

SHE WAS RELIVNG IT...THE NIGHTMARE THAT HAD HAUNTED HER DREAMS. Ever since the book signing, the night of the branding, she had relived that night in her dreams. She could remember exactly how it happened, but while it was happening, she didn't know what was going on. She could recall almost everything, but did she know what everything was?

In the midst of the room she was kept captive in was a light, a circle of light emitting from a lamp hanging from the ceiling. She walked towards it that little bit of hope spreading. But as soon as she began towards it, there was a loud slam of the door. She tried to call for them, to ask who they were, but she couldn't. It wasn't normal. Trying to see who they were, she kept turning, unsure of where the menacing laughter came from. Her facial expression was surely a wary, cautious one. She wanted out. She had no idea where she was. But did she want to know?

As she stumbled into the light, she heard him speak, "Look at your wrists," his voice low, and croaking. He laughed no longer, but now waited for her to comply. After a few seconds, she waited. She then glanced down at her wrists, afraid they wouldn't be there. But they were, and they weren't the only thing. She had been branded. Not branded like cattle, but a tattoo placed on each of her wrists, singing to her. Ever time they sang, her wrists seared in pain.

His laughter echoed. Her wrists began to burn, terribly. The pressure of a scream built up in her throat, but she couldn't let out anything. She was speechless. The pain became immense. It was beginning to blur her vision. And then, right before the time when she would collapse…

She woke up.

((xxx))

"You alright, Bells?" Charlie had asked.

The past two days buried her mind: packing to go to her father's, the car ride with her mother, the plane ride, and the talk with her father in the cruiser. She had come to live with her father because ever since she had gotten the brands, she had been acting differently. Her mother insisted that a new environment would help. Bella also knew that there was more to this. Her mother had just been married and her new husband, Phil, a coach looking for a new team, needed to travel, and so would her mother, Renee. So, Bella came to live with her father for the second reason, the one reason Bella never brought up aloud. And today was her first day of school at Forks High. She would be in a new environment alright.

"Yeah," she answered, unsure, herself, if it was the truth or not.

"Do you need a ride, or are you okay with the truck?" he asked. He apparently didn't know how much Bella appreciated her truck.

"No, dad, I love the truck, seriously!" She assured. "I can make it alright. Thanks, though." She got up, thinking she better leave before a touchy subject would come up.

She tried to hide her brands, even though her dad knew about it. She had to make it a habit so that no one would ask about it, and she would be stuck in an uninteresting situation of explaining a dare. But the problem was that it hadn't been a dare. Though that's what she told everybody, even though her parents disapproved of her lying. She was labeled a liar by her parents just because some nut job kidnapped her and then returned her home. Now, he knew where her mother's house was, and Bella was unable to make sure her mother was safe. She may not have known what her brands were for, but she sure did know how to use them.

A few days after Bella woke up with the brands, she experienced odd phenomenon. Things began to move on its own, she lights began to go off when she went to bed, glasses automatically poured themselves when she was wanted something to drink. It was like having a ghost as a personal assistant, but Bella soon came to the conclusion that it wasn't a ghost, that maybe, her brands were doing this. She didn't like the idea at first – in fact she hated it. She was only sixteen at the time. After about a month, she came to peace with it. She didn't use it for evil – she wasn't sure if the brands were there for evil. She used them regularly. She thought she might as well learn to control them so nothing would go bad, and she would try to use them for normal things only.

But sometimes, normal things wouldn't just happen. Walking home from school one day, a man driving a little too fast hit her. Naturally he slammed on the brakes to see what had happened. Fortunately for Bella, she recovered quickly. Too quickly. The man was dumbfounded by this act. Bella fixed his car, so when the police showed up, she told them that he was hallucinating, that he had been driving and after he passed her, he got out asking her if he had hit her. She told him that he didn't but he called the police anyway, saying that she was seriously injured and needed medical assistance. Luckily, the man was drunk at the time, so he was arrested for drunk driving, but never saw the inside of an asylum. If he were sober, Bella was sure she would have taken a different course.

But now she was seventeen. She was in an unfamiliar "environment" and didn't like it. Charlie was going to keep a close eye on her only because Renee insisted that he do it. This almost angered Bella because her mother worried, but wouldn't even ask what was wrong with her. She couldn't tell her what really happened, because she didn't even know herself. Her mother passed it off as Bella getting drunk and getting a tattoo, not going off to a book signing and getting kidnapped. When Bella woke up, she didn't have a headache and suffered from extreme dizziness from an entire night of partying. She was kidnapped, drugged, and given "demon" brands against her will and her life hadn't been the same ever since.

_That's what I get for going to a book signing about a demon's journal_, she thought.

The book that the book signing was for wasn't really a book. It was considered a relic, and copied and published for the world to see. It was considered an artifact, and Bella was interested. She hadn't believed it. Yes, it _could_ explain some odd things that happened in history: The Civil Rights Movement, the Watergate, King Henry the Eighth's actions during his reign, Prince Vlad Dracula's actions during his time, and even Queen Marry, who was also known as "Blood Marry." But Bella just passed it off as some man who was bored and broke enough to write something and "discover" it. But it was Bella's stupidity to try to go the book signing and question the interpreter of the book. She remembered that she didn't have enough time to question him, that there were too many people claiming to be vampires, demons, and werewolves waiting in line. Bella was sure if she ever had met a vampire, demon, or werewolf, she'd be more scared of the humans _claiming_ to be one.

As she turned the last corner, she saw Forks High in sight. This would be her new nightmare. _Lucky me…_, she thought.

((xxx))

"Alright," the woman at the desk in the front office began, "just have all of your teachers sign this, and hand it in to me this afternoon, okay?"

"Yes ma'am." Bella replied.

She left the office and headed to her first class. Things couldn't be anymore uncomfortable. First was English, one of Bella's best subjects. Maybe she was too good at it. Her love in literary work was what landed her in this situation. She found her way to English easily. The map provided by the attendant in the front office could be interpreted by an idiot. The bell rang for first period, and Bella hastened with her things. She entered the room, which apparently had already started. As she shut the door, the tardy bell rang, assuring her she wasn't late.

"Hello, Miss Swan?" What looked like the teacher asked her. She nodded. "Well, for future reference, Isabella?"

"Bella," she corrected, hating to be called by her full name.

"Yes, Bella, for future reference, if you're not in your seat when the bell rings, you're counted tardy."

"Yes sir." She assured. She handed him the slip the attendant in the front office handed her. He quickly signed it and directed her were to sit.

Making her way to the back of the room, she noticed several boys' stares, and several girls' glares. She ignored it and passed it off as what she normally did – hormonal teenagers – and sat down. The teacher continued after a student handed her a book with a posted with "Ms. Swan" written on it. She quickly caught up; she had already studied this in her old school. She even became bored.

As she turned the page once again, she heard something. She ignored it and let it pass. Then the sound occurred again and she ignored it again. Then, third time, it made out to be her name… Reluctantly, she looked up. She looked to the side to see a girl with cropped hair and heavy eyeliner. She was only two feet away. She looked up to the teacher who wasn't looking and the quickly grabbed her books and bag and threw them to the seat in front of Bella. Bella looked to the teacher to see if he was looking but he was too engrossed in the passage he was reading out loud. The girl quickly turned around to look at Bella.

"Nice out fit." She went.

"Thanks…" Bella went unsure, hissing her 's'. She was just wearing a band t-shirt and some black jeans.

"I'm surprised you're wearing black-on-black. Here people would label you for doing that." She whispered. "Such retards…" she mused. "I see you're not afraid of eyeliner either?" she added. Yes, Bella was wearing black on black, as was the girl in front of her, as well as eyeliner, just like herself. "You must be new." The girl concluded.

"Bella…" Bella held out her hand, and the girl quickly shook it and let go. "Sw-"

"-I know. You're the Police Chief's daughter. We all know." She gestured to everyone with her head. "I'm Melissa Marks. I've met with your father several times."

What did she mean? Was her dad interested in younger women, or was Melissa danger prone like her.

"You could call me the "trouble maker". Everybody else seems to." She answered Bella's expression.

"Are you a trouble maker?" Bella asked.

"Well…I did pull the fire alarm to skip a test in sixth period. I overrode the sprinkler system. I made a blackout in the school to skip gym. And I soaked the cafeteria floors with corn syrup. So, not really."

_I'd hate to see 'her' idea of a trouble maker,_ Bella thought as she lifter her arm to turn the page, as the rest of the class. As she did, a bit of her sleeve feel, revealing her brands, to her dismay.

"Hey, cool tattoo!" Melissa almost exclaimed as she grabbed Bella's wrist. She became almost entranced as she observed the complex pattern of the brand. It was odd, because Bella didn't think that a human could complete such a task to create such an indescribable pattern. And Bella hated to call these marks beautiful. They were evil if anything.

"Yeah, thanks." Bella shrugged her grip off.

"Where'd-"

"Ms. Marks and Ms. Swan…" Bella looked up to see the teacher staring at them, "I'd appreciate if you would quit interrupting my class?"

"Oh, yes sir." Bella said, signaling Melissa to turn around.

"We'll talk at lunch," Melissa said concluding the conversation and with a sigh.

After what seemed like another hour – it actually was – the bell rang. Next, Bella had government, and then Trigonometry. Finally was lunch. Bella turned the corner as she found herself to a sudden stop. "Oh, sorry." she said, but to see Melissa. "Oh, hey." Bella said, trying to sound friendly. She had actually almost enjoyed what was supposed to be a conversation with Melissa in the midst of getting a detention.

"Hey, do you have lunch now?" Melissa asked, her eyebrows furrowed and her head cocked to the side.

"Yeah," she answered.

"Good, come on…" she grabbed Bella by the hand dragged her back around the corner.

When she had finally let go, Bella found herself in the bathroom. "We're in the bathroom…" She mused, confused.

"Yeah, I've just got to fix my eyeliner." Melissa concluded. Bella watched as Melissa dug into her book bag and pulled out a little leather bag with a skull on it and sat it on the sink to pull out her eyeliner pencil. "So, it's Bella, right? Don't like to be called by your whole name?" She asked.

"Yeah," Bella answered. "I hate it. "Isabella" sounds so official. I don't like it. I don't even remember who I'm named after. My middle name is "Mary". So…you can tell I have a fun time filling out documents." She mused.

"Yeah, my first whole name is "Melissa-Anne." It's hyphenated and everything. I hate it. Not to mention my middle name is "Margo.""

"Melissa-Anne Margo Marks. It's got alliteration in it." Bella shrugged.

"I hate it. I'm guess you hate yours too?" Melissa began to apply her eyeliner as she waited for Bella's answer.

"Just when people call me by my whole first name, stick with "Bella" and you'll be fine."

"Okay, so, where are you from?"

"Phoenix."

"Arizona?" She asked, turning around and looking at Bella oddly.

"Yup."

"All the way from Phoenix?"

"All the way from Phoenix," she assured.

"How the hell did you get to Forks?" Melissa asked incredulously as she turned around and pulled out her mascara.

"My mom remarried."

"Ah…the perverted step dad."

"No!" She almost exclaimed, causing Melissa to look back at her through the mirror. "No," she repeated more calmly. "He's a coach. He has to travel."

"That it…" she was probing now.

"Nothing too important."

"Come on…" she urged. "Tell me."

"It's not important."

Melissa turned around looking at Bella. "If you don't tell me, I'm just gonna tell the counselor you were raped."

A look of alarm crossed Bella's face.

"I'm kidding!" She explained almost exclaiming it.

With a sigh, Bella let it go. "Well," she began.

"Yes…?"

"Well, I was supposed to go to a book signing right?" She couldn't risk telling Melissa the real reason, so she told her cover up-cover up story that she covered up with her first excuse. "And I ran into one of my friends, who insisted I come to her house. I was dared to get a tattoo…and…" she held up her wrists, both branded. "Someone slipped something into my water and I kinda got a little woozy. My mom thought I was drunk and went ballistic."

"So she sent you here?"

"No," she shook her head. She could tell how she attracted Melissa, someone begging to pull pranks with, wishing for a fellow hooligan. But Bella wasn't a troublemaker. She was far from it. "I was pretty shaken up. We had never fought like that before, so I just ignored her. We haven't really communicated since then."

"How long ago was it?" She asked.

"A year."

"Wow…congratulations…"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, usually when parents and teenagers have a fight, the teens tell themselves they'll never speak to their parents again. And usually, they never pull through. But you…you pulled it off. There should be a prize…"

Bella thought a moment. She didn't avoid her mother because she was mad. She was scared and confused. She didn't bother telling her mother anything, because she didn't know anything herself. She wondered how her mother felt, because the story she told Melissa was the story her mother was under impression of. She felt almost guilty…no…she felt guilty. Her mom didn't know that her daughter could manipulate matter and molecular structures. She was the only one who knew. She wondered about her future. Would Melissa be in it? Could she ever tell Melissa if they were ever able to become friends?

There was a silence while Bella thought. "Come on." Melissa ordered, grabbing Bella by the hand and pulling her out of the bathroom. Once they were in the hallway, she let go. "Let's go to lunch. We only have twenty-five minutes left."

"Wow, twenty-five, we had an hour back at my old school."

"Yeah, and like three periods."

"True," Bella gave in as they laughed together on the way down the staircase to the lunch room.

((xxx))

"So, tell me more about your old school." Melissa probed. "Any guys…you were interested in?"

Bella shook her head.

"Girls?"

"No," Bella laughed throwing her water bottle top at her.

"You weren't interested in anybody?"

"No, I don't do that thing."

"What thing? Dating?"

"No, I find it a waste of time."

"Really?" She asked, disbelieving.

"Um…yeah." Bella thought it an easy concept to understand. She scanned the lunchroom. She didn't really catch a glimpse of the students in her first three classes. As she scanned she noticed one table. At the table sat five teens, at least they looked it. "Who are they?" It took Melissa a couple of seconds until she finally looked up to see where Bella was looking.

"They…" she said, interest sparking her tone, "are the Cullens."

"The Cullens."

"Yeah, maybe you should play truth or dare with one of them."

"You've known me for five minutes and you're already implying sex." Bella laughed quietly.

"No joke," Melissa defended.

"No thank you. When I get bored enough to resort to the usual activities of a hormonal teenager, you'll be the first to know."

"Wow, I feel _so_ loved." She joked.

"Sure…"

"Anyway…they're not that social. They don't talk to anyone – except each other – and they're not on any teams or in any clubs."

"Yet…"

"Yet strangely, they seem so interesting."

"Like how?"

"Well, for one, B., it's just interesting to not know, to not know how some people can isolate themselves so easily. But, it does make sense."

"What makes since?" Bella wholly ignored her new nickname completely.

"Well, they're foster kids."

"Oh…"

And doesn't it make sense? That foster kids wouldn't exactly be social?"

"Well…I guess. Maybe they just like minding their own business. I can't see either one of them gossiping."

"Ugh, I hate gossipers."

"Hey," a male voice sounded behind them, causing them to turn around.

"Mike…" Melissa's tone reeked of apathy as she greeted the teenager. He seemed Bella's age. "How nice of you to join us…"

"Save it, Marks." He snapped nastily. As he did, Bella took offence at this. "Look, there's this thing at The Pull and here are some fliers." It was then that Bella noticed a multicolored stack of fliers in his grasp. He handed to the two of them. "It's a cool band…your crowd. Come if you want."

"Sure, whatever…"

The bickering between Mike and Melissa blurred out as Bella's attention gradually became focused on the acclaimed Cullen Clan. But there was one in particular that caught her attention. Her sight flew from the blond and to the one farthest on the right. His hair bronze, skin almost as white as snow, and dark circles reigned under his eyes. He looked so intimidating, yet so interesting. He attracted her like a fan girl to a rock star, a bee to a greatly pollinated flower. But in what seemed less than half a second he looked at her.

As they quickly made eye contact Bella's wrist flew to her chest as she hissed in pain. Her wrists were beginning to sear in pain again. Ever since the night of her captivation and the few weeks after that, when she had begun to use her brands, they would, at the same times every day, as if a sequence, begin to sear in pain. She spotted some salt in the middle of the table, or at least that's what she thought it was.

Jumping from the table with the little pink packet – and praying it wasn't Splenda - and headed to the bathrooms. She heard Melissa's footsteps not far behind her. "Thanks, Newton, you scared her away."

She made her way into the bathroom that she and Melissa had entered before, and was thankful that it was deserted. She threw her things – save the salt – to the sinks and collapsed against the wall as she slid down the cold, puke colored tile surface, hissing in pain every inch of the way. She tore the salt packet carefully and poured its contents fully onto one wrist. She placed her wrists together as she moved them in rhythmic circles as Melissa came in, worried expression lighting up her face, mixed with confusion.

"Salt helps the pain." She answered.

"I-"

"I don't get it either. It must be the ink that the body artist used; I must be allergic to it. For some reason, salt helps. Must balance out the allergic reaction, right?" She was speaking in between her teeth. Why had her wrists overreacted like this when that Cullen guy looked at her. "The Cullen guy, on the far right, our right, who was he?" She needed to know. Maybe if she knew his name, her pondering over why her brands reacted to his glare would be a little less torturing.

"Edward…I think." Melissa still sounded worried. "Are you alright?"

"Yes…"

"For a minute I thought you were gonna say yes…"

"What do you mean?" Bella was confused. She must have been so engrossed in Mr. Cullen Guy that she wasn't paying attention to her surroundings. Her wrists' searing didn't help either.

"He asked you out." Melissa began to laugh.

"Who…him?!" Bella asked, referring to Mike. "The Mike guy?" She questioned, almost laughing.

"Yup." She laughed back. "So I take it that you're saying no."

"He'll get a clue," Bella replied, getting up, her wrists doing a little better as the casual conversation began.

"Hey, Newton did have a point, though."

"You mean that thing?" Bella asked. Maybe socializing would do her some good.

"Yeah, there's this band coming in from Seattle that's gonna play at The Pull. You and I should go. You can get to know the crowd…"

"What's _the pull_…?" As Bella asked this question, Melissa's face lit up, like she was about to teach a novice in the act of disarming the schoolyard sprinklers.

"The Pull is only the most awesome place a teenager can go these days…well…to live in Washington that is…" She and Bella made their way out of the bathrooms.

"Where is it."

"Port Angeles, it's very attractive. Kids from La Push, Seattle, and even little 'ol Forks go to it."

"So, in twenty words or less, what is it? A club, bar, regular hangout? What?"

"More like a lounge…" Melissa turned around to exit the building as they had made it all the way to outside to get to the next building. "So what do you have next?"

"Biology…"

"Ditto…" She remarked coolly.

"Nice…" Bella joked…

((xxx))

Bella made her way to fifth period biology as she laughed along with Melissa, naturally, about the stupidest things. It was nice to know that she had made such a close friend in such a short amount of time. It was good to know that she would have someone to hang out with and show her around. But her good mood was shattered and turned into worry as she entered Biology. Since Biology was so far from the cafeteria, she and Melissa were the last ones to arrive. There were two seats empty, and one was surely Melissa's which was across the room from the other one. But the distance wasn't what worried her, it was where one of the seats were. One was in the back next to Newton – not good – and one right next to Mr. Cullen Guy – again, not so good.

Bella watched as Melissa took the seat next to Newton, and this luckily left Bella with the one next to Mr. Cullen Guy. She sat down, apathetically, trying not to care. It wasn't that she liked him, because she didn't; she was just so intimidated by him. He was so stern and looked so serious, that she was sure to take him too seriously, and if they were to ever come into contact she'd make a total idiot of herself. But she told herself not to care, to make as little contact as possible. _Let him be just as existent to you as you are to him_, she kept telling herself.

She was proud of herself, how she had made it halfway through the class. Once she became interested into what the Biology Professor had to say, she easily ignored Mr. Cullen Guy's existence in the close proximity. It was as if he'd have to tap her on the shoulder and make an insult in order to get her attention. But she pulled herself through. By the end of class, she found herself wondering why she was ever even worried. Maybe it was just 'first day' jitters. She let it go, not caring, and easily packed her things to leave. But maybe she packed her things a little too quickly. She made her way out of the doorway to wait for Melissa.

"Wow, you packed fast!" Melissa exclaimed. "Why? Mr. Cullen Guy too intimidating…" Bella recalled how Melissa used the nickname she gave him, and how she had mentioned it on the way to Biology and how she found him…intimidating.

"I'm ready to get to gym. I have to go all the way to the other end of the school to get to gym…"

"How ironic…" Melissa mused. "I have gym next too…" She gestured towards the direction they were headed with her hand dressed in lace finger cut gloves.

"Well…isn't that something…three classes…"

((xxx))

Gym was nothing to brag about, but Bella didn't think she could claim herself more of champion if she wanted to. Before the brands she wore, she was an entire klutz, always running into things, dropping important objects and such. But ever since she was branded, she seemed a bit more graceful. And this helped her in gym class immensely. Ever since she became more graceful, becoming more active was an easy activity. Volleyballs became her favorite weapon, running her favorite time killer, and water her favorite beverage. Bella probably held a water bottle with her at all times.

She had killed the other team in volleyball, and left to the locker rooms with a bragging coach, and the volleyball team begging her to join. With polite refusals, she made her way to the showers and then to her stuff.

"Wow…" Melissa gasped, "You were great out there."

"Thanks," Bella replied, grabbing her things and making her way to the door, "it comes to you."

"So, are we going to The Pull tonight? It's Friday, and I already have your number. I'll call you and we'll go in my car." Melissa explained. "It'll be fun." She apparently really wanted to go. Bella didn't see anything wrong with it. It would be nice to report to Charlie she made a close friend already and was invited to The Pull in Port Angeles. She just hoped that Melissa didn't have history with Charlie, and if so, this would slim her chances in going.

"I'll talk to my dad." Bella replied. "You wouldn't have a history with him, would you?"

"See, B., my dear B.," she draped her arm around Bella's shoulder as they continued onto the school parking lot, "that's the awesome thing about me – I don't get caught."

"Well, then my chances are good. I just hope you have a good reputation…" She laughed as Melissa let her go and began towards her own car.

"Other than rumors, I'm perfect!"

Bella laughed as she made it to her truck, thinking of what stupid things she and Melissa would laugh at. As she dug into her messenger bag for her keys, she noticed something missing – her biology book. She was missing her biology book. _Probably from packing too quickly_, she thought. She rolled her eyes as she made it back to the school. She decided to go through the main building as she weaved her way through the crowds of teens.

She didn't have far to go. She caught a glimpse of the Biology teacher chatting it up with the Blond Beauty Government teacher, so he was preoccupied. She continued on the Biology lab, in the desolate hallways, not a sound except for the last students left in the building slamming their lockers. She turned into the biology room. She counted rows to find the table she and Mr. Cullen Guy had sat at. Every table in the room was desolate, nothing to be seen. She then noticed that the floors were spotless. Either her Biology teacher was strict on teens messing up his floor, or the janitor had already made his run-through and had swept and had picked up her book and returned it to the front office.

_Dammit, the front office!_ She thought.

She had forgotten to turn in her slip into the front office basket. She had all six signatures. She checked her pocket to make sure she hadn't put it into her Biology book. She hadn't. It was in her pocket safe and sound. She'd spend a couple more minutes searching, and then she'd head down to the front office to turn in her slip and would then ask if a biology book had been turned in.

After five minutes of looking, she gave up, her impatience getting the best of her. She grabbed her messenger bag off of the front tables, double checked so as not to forget anything, and made her way out of the room. She turned the corner, expecting desolate hallways. It was desolate – save one. Leaning against the lockers, tall, lean, and casual, was none other than Mr. Cullen Guy – with a Biology book. She mentally slapped herself as he looked to her. His eyes were topaz! That was something new. As she looked into his eyes, their eye contact entirely different this time from their last, she didn't see an intimidating Mr. Popular or Mr. Cullen Guy. She didn't know who she saw. She saw a stranger, apparently.

She looked expectantly to the book and back up to Mr. Cullen Guy's face. "You do intend on giving that back, right?" she asked, her former fear of him no where to be seen. She was fully comfortable now. She was as hard as steel.

He leant up from the lockers, and casually strode towards her. "What makes you think this book belongs to you?" His velvet voice _sang to her._ It was nothing like she had ever heard, like being deaf for seventeen years and finally being able to hear.

She couldn't let herself slip now. Her heartbeat was already challenging her. She needed to keep cool, and coolly get her biology book back! "Well, I left my book in biology," she mused "you happen to sit beside me in biology, _and_ you _just_ so happen to have a biology book in your hand as you conveniently lounge on these pathetic excuses for school funds…also known as lockers." She added. She had done well with the condition her heart was in. She had shown her witty and indestructible side at the same side. Wry humor was her best feature, she thought.

But Mr. Cullen Guy was not easily defeated. He shot her a crooked smile – which caused her stomach to tear in two and have both halves try to murder one another -and strode even nearer towards her. She stood her ground, shoulders straight and head held high, her eyes questioning his confidence. "That would make sense, now wouldn't it?" He asked, teasingly. "But you see, the janitor just made his way by this room, and could have easily turned your poor, forgotten book to the Lost and Found, and I may have been just lounging here, minding my own business."

"Really?" Retorted, incredulously.

"Yes…" he answered, mockingly, "I may have just been waiting for someone, and some random girl approaches me and demands that I give supposedly her book back."

"I'm sure you get harassed all the time…" She shot sarcastically.

"In a way, yes, but not by beautiful girls. I should steal biology books more often." He spoke clearly, with confidence, not so much as intentional remarks as Bella.

"So you admit to have my book on your persons." She smirked.

"Maybe so…maybe not." He was extremely close, kissing proximity

"And what would determine this?" she asked, playing along, yet not getting too involved in his flirtatious actions.

"Here," he said, handing her the book he held, "you'll be needing that Monday." He shot her a last final crooked smile.

He had won. She didn't like it either. At least she could make an escape first. She fulfilled a bigger proximity between them as she passed him and headed to the end of the hall, her biology book in hand.

"I'll keep the textbook thievery in mind…" She heard his velvet voice muse. She couldn't help it. He had already won. She turned around to take one last look at him, but he was gone, nothing but a flyer blowing in the wind of a door swinging shut.

She turned and approached the flyer that flew. The color was familiar, a funky orange. She picked it up as it finally found its home on the cliché school floor tile. In big black letters read "Dynamic! At The Pull! Friday!" That reminded her. She had to make it home…

She turned in her slip to the front office, and made her way to the parking lot. As she made it in her truck, her head fell onto the steering wheel. What had just happened? Was he flirting? It was too weird. He was more polite than a lot of other guys she knew if he was flirting. But something wasn't right. She picked up the Biology book, to see if it was really hers. She rotated it in her fingers, looking at every detail. She finally decided to look on the inside for a name. But as she opened the book, a piece of white paper lay on the inside of the hard back cover, with letters incredibly too neat to be written out manually:

"From Mr. Cullen Guy."


	3. Chapter Two

Branded: Chapter Two

THE CROWD IN The Pull WASN'T VERY FAMILIAR. Bella didn't expect to recognize anyone other than Melissa and a few select others. She made her way through the crowd and back to her guarded drinks with Melissa. The hang out was very PG-13, how Bella wanted it to stay. They served only virgin drinks, so there was a good guarantee that she wouldn't really get drunk and actually get a tattoo this time. All she had to do is guard her drink with her life and if she ever became suspicious, she'd just order a water bottle and carry it around with her.

She sat down next to Melissa who turned to her. Bella was rather grateful that The Pull didn't come with blaring music and hormonal teenagers. It came with sensible volume, lounge couches, drink tables – it was basically a lounge as Melissa had informed her previously.

"So, you like it so far?" Melissa questioned, and grin on her face as she turned and slid Bella's drink to her.

"Yes, it's nothing as I had pictured it." She replied taking a sip from her drink.

"How'd you picture it?" Once she had told Melissa what she had thought of The Pull, she laughed. "Sorry, B., but Washington isn't _that_ exciting. When it is, trust me, you'll know."

"That'd be quite a change," Bella mused, eating the pineapple out of her drink, "apparently." She added as she spotted three familiar figures walk into the door.

"Well, if it isn't Mr. Cullen Guy…" Melissa laughed in Bella's ear.

She got her a quick glance and then turned away to analyze the picture in her mind. It _was_ Mr. Cullen Guy, and what looked like one of his sisters and one of his brothers. The other guy had been tall and very bulky, while the girl was short and dancer-like. And if Bella recalled correctly, it was Mr. Cullen Guy that looked at her – which was why her heart was truly challenging her right now.

"The short one's Alice and the bigger guy is Emmet." Melissa informed.

Bella looked at her with a disbelieving, confused look.

"I hear things." She defended. "You see, only three of them were adopted and they all have someone that they're with that live with them."

"Like in an intimate relationship?" Bella hated to admit it, but despite her cool disguised tone, she was kind of disappointed.

"Well, all except Mr. Cullen Guy," Melissa sipped from her drink as she stared into the mirror in front of them, and most likely was gazing at the three figures' reflection. Mr. Cullen Guy was sitting with his sister and brother in the back on a sofa. They weren't speaking or making contact with anyone. It made her think why they even came. "See, his sister…Alice is with…Jasper…I think his name is." She sounded unsure. Apparently they _didn't_ make contact. "And the bulky one is…with…the blond. I don't know her-"

"Rosalie." Bella turned to see a teenager, about her age, beside her, looking straight at the both of them. It was the girl who had accompanied Mr. Cullen Guy into the lounge. The Alice girl.

"Oh…" Bella didn't know what to say.

"I see you have an interest in my brother…" she smiled at Bella, leaving her speechless.

Bella tried to play it cool, not to let _Alice_ see through her. She had developed an interest, but didn't really plan on playing that interest out. "I'd hardly say so." She took a sip from her drink, gazing into the mirror looking for his reflection. She didn't see him. He was gone apparently. She turned to the side to see Mr. Cullen Guy making his exit with the bulky one.

"Cool tattoo," Alice commented as she grabbed Bella's wrist. Suddenly, Bella didn't know how to react. The last time she had made any sort of contact with Mr. Cullen Guy her wrists began to hurt. And as she reacted to Alice, just like earlier in the cafeteria when they had made eye contact, she found herself looking into his eyes, and he was looking back. But she also found Alice's wrist clutched in her palm.

She looked to Alice, who was horror struck. It looked as if she had seen a ghost. There she stood her wrist in Bella's hand, apparently tightly gripped. Bella let go, grabbing her bag beside her. "Sorry, I don't like to be touched." She maneuvered her way around Alice and passed Mr. Cullen Guy on the way out.

"Whoa, B., how'd you do that!?" She heard Melissa yell as she heard the clinking of glasses.

She heard footsteps behind her, hopefully Melissa's and not Mr. Cullen Guy's. "Reflexes," she answered

"What do you mean 'reflexes'?" Melissa demanded.

"It's just…reflexes…"

"B.!" she reached for Bella's wrist, but Bella grabbed her hand before she could make towards it. "What's wrong…"

"When my wrists hurt, I don't like to be touched…" Bella lied.

"Oh," Melissa looked apologetic.

"It kinda puts up a defense system." She hated lying, but she knew she had to. _Hey I was drugged, kidnapped, tattooed, and now have magical powers…_ didn't seem all too believable.

"I'll go get some salt." Melissa offered a worried look still on her face. "Maybe the barkeeper has some."

"Thanks…" it was barely a whisper.

((xxx))

It was a confusing day. Mr. Cullen Guys stunts. Alice's popping up out of nowhere. And their odd reaction to Bella's grabbing Alice's arm. She just didn't want to be touched. Was there something wrong with that? Her bed would be her sanctuary. Bella spent her time that afternoon after school with homework and getting her room homey. She found that she had to fix a few things using her brands. But the more she used her brands, the less they hurt.

Her wrists would sear drastically, and feel as if they were lit aflame. It was hard to hide. The more confusing part of the matter was the unknown reason why salt helped. In old zombie and witch movies, they would use salt to ward them off along with other types of evil. Did the fact of salt supposedly warding off evil true? And if so, since it helped the searing pain, did this mean her brands were evil. Bella disliked the concept, but she knew it was one she had to live with. She could only hope that it was just a chemical reaction with the ink.

But it was nighttime, and she needed sleep, badly. She would forget what happened that day and would just sleep. That was the best she could do, was forget. She would return to school on Monday, and everything would be back to normal. She hoped.

((xxx))

Waking up seemed inevitable. She couldn't move. She couldn't speak. She was now in a chair, her limbs tied together and somehow onto the chair, supporting her immobility. Her cheeks were tearing stained, blood running down her cheeks from a cut on her forehead, she whimpered. She hadn't a clue where she was, yet she knew what would happen next. As suspected, the laugh echoed throughout the dark room as she sat in the circle of light, tied to the chair.

She struggled to undo her hands from what was restricting her from moving. She felt blood trickle down her lips, out of her mouth. She could taste the saltiness. Hot tears fell. She was scared, scared for her life. She watched as a black boot showed itself out of the pitch black darkness and into the light. Then slowly, his chest came into view, then his neck…

((xxx))

_Clank._

Bella found herself pulling herself out of unconsciousness.

_Clank. _

She had to pull herself out of it. She tried to move, but she knew it was impossible. She eventually opened her eyes.

_Clank. _

She looked to the window to see little rocks being thrown against her window. "This better not be Mr. Cullen Guy." Bella groaned and then padded to the window.

_Crash!_

Bella stepped over the broken glass. She opened the shattered window, glad Charlie was a deep sleeper. She looked out over the lawn, expecting Mr. Cullen Guy, but saw Melissa standing out instead. She was wearing a skirt and a leather jacket, so Bella could see.

"Melissa! You broke my window!" Bella whispered down.

"I'm sorry! I just wanted to see if you were okay!" She sounded eager.

"I'll be down in a minute…" Bella cut her off. She grabbed her pants in which she had stripped off in the middle of just getting to sleep, and grabbed a jacket on her way out of her door. She made it to the front door, and stepped out onto the porch.

Melissa was approaching the porch cautiously. She was afraid Bella would freak out on her or something of that sort. "I just hope I didn't wake up Chief Swan…" She laughed.

Bella walked to the steps and sat down.

"What's wrong, Bella? I've never seen you like this."

"You've only known me for a day." She retorted, comically.

"Well…true, but that's not the point."

"Then what is?" Bella asked, pulling her knees to her chest.

"Well, you just seemed really shaken up today. I don't see why you're so self conscious about your marks?"

"It's just…" Bella got up and began to pace on the concrete of the walkway, "I have bad experiences. And one of the worst is how this came about…" She held up her wrists and showed her brands.

"It was just a bet, Bella. I'm sure the idiots who dared you didn't mean any harm…" Melissa was dismissive. She didn't seem to really understand or grasp the concept Bella was trying to convey.

"Melissa, you don't get it." It wasn't a question. It was a statement, and nothing more.

"What don't I get?" She was offended. Typical that the one time Bella would try to tell anyone, they would take all the signs the wrong way.

"Just…listen…" Bella approached Melissa, trying to seem serious, (which was probably hard to do with the state her hair was in). She grabbed her by the arms and sat her back down on the steps. "Better yet," she corrected, getting an idea, "just watch." It was now or never. Bella would need a friend, and if she were to have a friend, she would have to avoid keeping secrets.

She looked around to find her target. She needed something. She could manipulate particles of matter and structure of particles. She needed to do something. It was easier when she had an object. Bella took her jacket, which was green, and touched Melissa's leather jacket. She closed her eyes, trying to concentrate without turning Melissa green. She heard a gasp. She opened her eyes to see Melissa's leather jacket the same shade of green as her own cotton one.

She glimpsed at Melissa, expecting her to run and scream. But instead, Melissa was smiling. She was smiling…She waited. She wanted her to say something.

"Cool!" Melissa exclaimed.

_Well, that was promising_.

((xxx))

"So, what else can you do…?" Melissa asked, as she walked Bella to her locker. Ever since Bella had gotten out of her truck on Monday, Melissa had been bombarding her with questions and theories all morning. She was truly accepted. Melissa probably had a million more questions, in which they couldn't discuss at school.

"I think I mentioned everything." Bella concluded.

"Oh, come on…show-" Melissa began, but Bella covered her mouth with her hand.

"Not here. No one can know about this, not anyone." Bella warned, an alarming tone dripping from her words. "My parents don't even know…you're the only one." It sounded odd from her saying this.

She had only known Melissa for a day now, less than a week. But she still needed someone to know. She needed someone to know what she was going through, that wouldn't pass judgment. Melissa seemed like the last person to pass judgment. She wasn't someone who urged to be _in the in-crowd_ and she never bothered with fads. She always made her own if at all. She was labeled, and singled out by the fact that she didn't suck up to anyone and was different and actually tried to be her own person.

"What do you mean that I'm the only one who knows…you trust me with this?" Melissa replied, incredulous, yet flattered.

"Of course I am. I trust you." Bella said it almost too quickly, although she meant every word. "It may seem odd, I mean, the fact that you and I haven't even known each other for a full week hours yet."

"Yes…" Melissa seemed to trail off, "It does."

The bell rang as Bella shut her locker. "Let's go." She said, and they began toward the general direction of the English room.

Throughout the entire period, Melissa was turning around while the teacher wasn't looking and attempted a quick conversation – which Bella shunned each time – and eventually was given detention. So, Bella would be spending Monday afternoon alone. Melissa was also given a load of homework which would keep her busy for a few afternoons, leaving Bella with nothing to do.

((xxx))

"Alright," the English teacher finally said, "have it back to me by next Monday, and have good day."

Bella disliked it when the bell would finally ring and the teacher would try to make a homework assignment over the bustling crowd of students all trying to get out of the door at the same time. However, on a good note, there was a fifteen minute break after first period, since second was the longest of the day. She dreaded Government – her second period - but was glad it wasn't gym.

She slid through the students going the opposite way as she made her way to her locker before break. The halls were already desolate of eager students ready to be at break. She took her time in getting her books, double checked her books, and made sure she had all the right ones and didn't leave any in English. Once she was satisfied with that, she closed her locker and began to the grounds. The halls were absolutely desolate. There wasn't a soul to be seen. She could be kidnapped and no one would know.

She turned the corner, but didn't exactly make it. She felt something cover her mouth and pull her backwards. She was yanked backwards into darkness and heard a door slam. This was too much like her dreams, and she wasn't very fond of being held captive.

"Hey-"

The light came on, and showed a very odd looking Mr. Cullen Guy. She was surprised. Why had _he_ pulled her into a closet? Had he stolen something else? But something was off about him. He didn't have that warmness he had had that previous Friday. It took her a few nanoseconds to realize why so. His eyes weren't that warm color of topaz. They were…black, quite inhuman.

"What-" she began but was cut off by him.

"What are you?" He asked simply. He didn't implicate anything. If this was a joke about her sexuality, she could assure all she was straight and there were no fears of asking out a lesbian and making a total fool of one's self.

"What kind of question was that?!" She knew she had a point. What kind of question _was_ that, and why was he asking that? Was there a correct and incorrect answer?

"What. Are. You." He repeated in a sterner tone this time, a bit more serious so she'd know he wasn't trying to make a fool out of her.

"How do I answer that?" She asked warily, backing up into the shelves behind her.

She turned around to see what she had run into only to have Mr. Cullen Guy grab hold of her wrist to examine her brands. She quickly tried to pull her wrist back, but he kept hold. She hissed through her teeth as her brands began to burn, she then realize she wasn't the only one burning. It looked like she was burning him, burning his skin. As her wrist burnt her, and he had hold of her wrist, he was burnt too. He adopted a worried look. She didn't blame him but she hadn't had hold of the situation to begin with so she didn't know what to think.

His eyes were wide, and his lips expressionless. He looked back up to her, then down to her wrists, as if incredulous. She'd expect anyone to act this way. "How?"

"Um…" She felt her own worried expression, and she almost drew tears. She tried to maneuver around him, but he held out his arm to block her path.

His mouth was pressed into a hard line, and his black eyes pierced through her very soul. "Who are you and what are you doing in Forks." He was demanding it now.

"Frankly, I don't know." She answered truthfully. "Family matters." This was all she would reveal. "I can't tell you any more. This is possibly because I don't know anymore than you do." She was sincere and was begging him to let her go. Someone else had known. Someone she didn't trust.

"I'll just get it from Melissa." He warned.

"You won't touch her!" She remarked sternly, in more of a warning tone than he. Her wrist seriously began to burn. He couldn't hurt Melissa just to figure out about a stupid tattoo, or that's at least what he thought it was.

As her fear built up, mixed with her alarm and anger, the shelves in the closet fell, sending all of the items it supported down with it. Bella glanced back to Mr. Cullen Guy, her heart racing as she studied his appearance to see if he had caught on. She hadn't meant to mess up the closet. Her frustrations must have made contact with the floor which most likely sent her emotional waves through the walls to loosen the nails holding up the shelves.

"Let me go." She ordered.

"Who are you-" he stopped in the middle of his sentence, and shot his glare to the door, alert, as if hearing something.

The light from outside seeped through the opening door as someone opened it. To Bella's dismay, it was Alice, Mr. Cullen Guy's sister. She looked back to Mr. Cullen Guy himself who was staring at her, still expecting an answer.

"She's not going to answer Edward," she heard Alice say. "We might as well make it home. The sun's coming out."

Bella didn't know how to take Alice's comment. She just took her wrist finally from Mr. Cullen Guy's grip, and shoved through the both of them. As she made her way towards break, she noticed the blond and the bulky one leaning against the wall of the closet, right along one she didn't recognize too strongly, but was familiar from the table Mr. Cullen Guy sat at on Friday.

"Bella!" She turned around to see Melissa jogging towards her direction, alarmed. "What's wrong," she said, catching up and grabbing Bella's arm lightly to comfort her in the direction of the schoolyard.

Bella caught one last glimpse at Mr. Cullen Guy and turned to Melissa as they both walked quickly to the school yard. "He knows," was all she said. And in her final glimpse of Mr. Cullen Guy until the next time she would see him, she saw terror in his eyes…as if by that one word, as if he could hear her, it implied that there was something drastically dangerous _to_ know. "


	4. Chapter Three

Go easy on me. I'm in the editing process. God the styles are atrocious.

.III.

Mr. Cullen Guy. Edward. The dude from Biology. However he was referred to now- he knew. He knew that her marks weren't normal marks. But she was stunned that he wasn't frightened by her. He was obviously distraught by the predicament, but he wasn't frightened. This puzzled her. Though, what really brought Bella to a crossroads was that she wasn't even sure of what was wrong with her, really. They knew just about as much as she, as far as tactical action goes. And who were they, anyhow? What was it that they could possibly offer her? As if the police could help. No one could help really. She'd accepted this a long time ago, that she was doomed.

She sat on the edge of her bed, her face in her hands. She knew it wasn't necessarily the skin contact that set the brands off, it was an instinctive reaction to his tone and demeanor. He shook her nerves. And when the brands burnt her, they burnt him as well, she was sure of it. She never considered harming others with these marks, but she figured if she was a danger to herself, that she could perform only horrors onto others. Bella wasn't sure what all her brands possessed, what all she could accomplish, all that she could destroy. She'd only had them for a year, and that was long enough in itself. At least Melissa knew. That was one person at least she was sure about.

However you would consider the Cullens' reactions, she knew that they would approach her soon, and they would bring with them questions They would expect these questions to be answered. Bella wasn't exactly one to take orders, but she knew she would need those answers herself eventually, sooner rather than later. This called for a ride to Port Angeles. Figuring that Forks lacked just as many books as they did people, she considered that she may have to travel out of town for this sort of research.

She climbed to the nightstand and made a quick call to Melissa. The Cullens would have questions, and most likely would be eager for those answers. Melissa would do rather fine in keeping an eye on things. Bella requested if the Cullens made any peculiar moves to notified, and in some way, she needed Melissa to keep an eye on her dad.

"I'll just steak out your house or something tomorrow," Melissa stated casually. Bella's brows furrowed at Melissa's nonchalance. "I know the guy that lives across the street from you. I guess I could break into his house or something."

"Uhm…okay…" Bella stuttered, surprised at Melissa's extensive loyalty. "I guess that works…"

((xxx))

She could have played sick. She could have pulled the Daddy's Little Girl card. But she didn't. Bella didn't exactly follow the rules, even before her move to Forks. Despite her being the police chief's daughter, she didn't necessarily find any reason to start now. Charlie left before, as usual. She showered and got dressed as usual, but instead of going to school, she just headed toward Port Angeles. Bella considered her timing. She knew she'd probably beat Charlie home, but she still needed to be safe. She had money, a full tank of guess, and a charged cell phone battery. She had basically all she needed. Before she knew it, she was already at Port Angeles.

The worst that could possibly go wrong was she getting lost. Even if Bella had wandered far away from her truck, she was sure she could find her way back. She could only pray, though. But until she had to disgrace herself with searching for her beloved truck, she had to embark on this in particular mission first. She stood, the store towering over her on in the alleys of Port Angeles. She had long deserted the bustling streets, and was now in what seemed like an ominous area at the end of a dark alley. If there was not a rather important task in front of her, she'd call herself crazy for being in the humid, dirty, wet alley she stood in.

Her eyes scaled up the wall and took in the mahogany, crimson sign that read _Death's Crypt. _Thankfully, the map she retrieved when she first got out of her truck came with a free brochure that summarized each shop. So, this would make her trip quite shortened, and she could scan each shop's summary and figure out which she should try first. Bella had chosen three, and they were all scattered. This shop, _Death's Crypt,_ was the closest to the soda shop during its discovery, and was the first.

So, Bella took out the brochure, and read it once again.

_If you're looking for any information on demons, demonic markings, witch craft, or supplies for unearthly ceremonies, then come enter the realm of the paranormal and walk into Death's Crypt…if you dare…_

"You've got to be kidding me," she thought to herself. The over dramatized logo made her consider going into the shop just despite the warning. She was sure she'd seen worse things. In the crevice of the alleyway was a door way, an orange luminance glowing from behind the barricade of retro beads. Her brows cocked. She wasn't impressed. Once she entered, she half expected there to be dead animals pinned against the wall and bleeding flowers in the corners. Despite the horrific warning given to all visitors, there was a mellow, easy vibe. The walls were lined with various bookcases, tons of books stacked after one another. She could only imagine what knowledge they contained.

There were glass cases filled with random artifacts, seemingly odd and ancient weapons, and more books. Supposed spell books most likely. There were stacks of packaged plants strewn about the checkout counter, most likely herbs. Bella's tour was interrupted though. "Oh, you finally came," a gentle voice cooed gleefully. Bella turned around curiously, to see a woman beginning toward her, arms held out welcomingly.

"You must not get many customers," Bella replied hesitantly. She looked at the woman's odd appearance. She looked like a hippy. She was thin, long ginger hair, her dress fell to the ground elegantly around her figure, a shawl snugly tied around her shoulders.

"Oh, dear I get customers all the time," she replied happily. She reached out for her, taking Bella's hands into her own. "Bella I've-"

She tore her hands away. "How did you know my name?"

"I just did. Follow me." She replied simply. She turned around; a smile played across her lips, and made her way to the bookcases.

Bella didn't know why, but she followed. She needed to know who this woman was and why she really knew that she would arrive there, unexpected, and uninvited. But she was mesmerized. She needed to follow, entranced by only a few words. She was led through bookcase after bookcase. There were books after books. Bella was now believing that the chances of her discovering something concerning her brands were being a bit nicer to her, now.

The woman stopped at a door. Her back faced Bella for a few seconds, and then she turned around, a warm look across her face. It played into a smile. She opened the door, slowly, and led Bella into it.

There were candles lit. Everywhere. The room was even a mellower tint than the store. The room had a mysterious aura to it, like it was holding many secrets. And this Bella hoped. She hoped these secrets had to do with her marks.

"You have great abilities, you know?" The woman began, as she lit a circle of candles.

"How did you know?"

"I know all about you." She smiled. She had the sweetest smile. "My name is Mia." She introduced and held her hand out.

"Bella." Bella held her hand out to take Mia's but instead, her wrist was grasped.

"These marks…where did you get them?" She questioned.

"Um…" Bella hesitated. "I'm not really sure. It's all vague." But the woman sounded certain, as if she truly knew what she was talking about.

"So…you've no idea how you obtained them? No memory at all?" She asked, looking Bella in the eyes.

Bella shook her head.

"They never do." She let go of Bella's arm and continued lighting candles.

"_They_?" Bella exclaimed, confused and caught of guard. "You mean… What _do_ you mean?"

"You didn't think you were the only one who had those marks, did you?"

The woman held a cool face while Bella's was confused and demanding. "Well, considering I don't remember where they came from…wouldn't you expect me to?" Bella remarked.

Mia finished lighting the candles and motioned for Bella to sit in the middle of the circle. She took Bella's wrist and examined them. It was a circle with a pentagram in the middle, intricate designs filling out the shape. "These marks… Why do you call them _brands_?" Bella just now noticed that Mia held a Russian accent.

"Because they were burnt into my skin."

"I thought you said that you didn't remember."

"I dream!" Bella replied hotly.

"They all do." Mia was being very vague.

"Who are _they_?" Bella pleaded.

"All those he's gathered." She answered shortly.

"Who is _he_?"

"No one really knows…" She begin. "Some say he is a demon, some say a man, and some even say that he is both, taking both forms whenever he pleases. We do know that whatever he is…he is _not_ human."

"What do they call him?" This was very important. It helped Bella immensely. In her dream..._she watched as a black boot showed itself out of the pitch black darkness and into the light. Then slowly, his chest came into view, then his neck…_ It at least let her know someone deliberately did this. It made sense, concerning her dream.

"They all call him differently. _The Demon_ is very popular. _He Who Curses_ is also popular, concerning how he curses people with the marks. But there was one. There was one who he revealed the most he has ever revealed to a Branded."

Bella heart race sped up. She looked Mia in the eyes. She would learn his name, which would probably lead her to him. "What did he say?" Her voice was in a breath.

"He called himself "Drake"."

Drake.

The name _branded_ itself into Bella's skull. It wasn't familiar, but it would be, because Bella was determined to remember it.

"Is that all? No last name?" She probed. She needed more information.

"He claims to have lived when last names meant nothing. He claims to have lived before time, with his own beings." Bella caught up on the word _beings_ which implicated he was probably proud or definitely not of man. "The name he has is enough. Humans know what he is talking about."

Bella took this in. But as she thought his name again, her wrists began to sear, and apparently Mia felt the same, for Bella heard a hiss, yet she didn't release her arm.

"These brands are great." Mia stated.

The candles began to shake, as if an Earthquake.

"You need to realize this."

The win picked up inside the back room. For some odd reason, it became so great that Mia had to shout in order to be heard.

"You need to learn how to control them!"

Books off of bookcases began to plummet to the ground, and candles toppled over, setting the books aflame.

Now Mia was yelling over the roar of flames and the loud whistle of the rampaging winds.

"If not, he will find you!"

"Who!" Bella yelled back, startled by it all. She had no clue what was going on.

"Drake, my child! Drake!"

Bella's hair was blown in her face, and her brands seared more painfully than they ever had.

The flames were yelling at her, daring her to stay. They increased, now dangerous and disabling she and Mia to get out.

"The flames!" Bella yelled.

"Do not be afraid! Use your brands! They are marks of evil! But they can be used as you wish them to be! Stay pure! And the brands will not consume you as they have done the others!"

The winds became so great that Mia's sweater was blown off of her shoulders and down her arms. Bella could see a mark, perfectly identical to her brands. She looked to Mia expectantly, confused as well. She held a brand?

She only smiled encouragingly.

"The flames are strengthening! You must go!" She wasn't yelling now, but still speaking loud enough to hear.

The flames engulfed them both, causing Bella to scream.

She tried to scream.

But could not.

She blacked out.

((xxx))

She was standing in the alley, where the entrance to the store was. She did not wake up lying on the dirty ground, but standing and fully aware of her surroundings. She turned around, expectantly, wanting to go back into the store. But as she turned around, the doorway was not there, but instead only alley wall stood. No store. No sign. Nothing.

This made no sense. Was she hallucinating? Was she dead? Then, as she was rotating, trying to find a sign, something telling her she wasn't' crazy, she saw it. In the middle of the alley, only ten feet away from her, set a book. Apparently, she wasn't crazy. Her brands must have done something to save her. It was also apparent that the store was full of black magic of some kind and that must have been the reason why the door was missing. What bothered Bella the most was the thought that maybe Mia didn't make it.

But if not, then how did the book appear?

Bella smiled to herself. She knew that Mia was safe. And now, she had a way to be helped until she could find Mia again. She approached the book as the clank of her heals echoed through the stone walls. She picked up the book, a piece of paper sticking out of it. This reminded her of Mr. Cullen Guy. "Not you…" she groaned. But when she opened the book, she didn't see Mr. Cullen Guy's perfect handwriting, but a just as neat, just as self-descriptive handwriting.

"Control it," was all it read, clearly a message from Mia.

Bella quickly flipped through the book, seeing intricate symbols, paragraphs, illustrations, and, for some odd reason, equations. "Shit, I've gotta know math…for this…well, whatever this is." She didn't know what to call it. "Black Magic" was out of the question. But isn't that why she held the book? To learn what she was dealing with?

((xxx))

Bella was on the way to her truck. She had clearly gotten what she had come for and needed to get home. She glanced at her truck. It was only lunch which gave her about four hours to get home.

She heard snickering. She turned around looking for anyone who might be doing the snickering. She observed her surroundings. She was alone on a desolate street. So, she was alone, and she didn't know if that was good or bad. Apparently it all depended on whether she was really alone or not. she continued her way to the corner where she would be released onto the same street her truck was parked on. She felt her self quickening her pace, possibly getting a little anxious.

She heard a menacing laugh. She turned around, looking for its owner. Her heart was frantic. In the pit of her stomach, she felt the same feeling creep up – the same feeling she got at the warehouse where she received the brands, back in that room. The same laugh. It was the same laugh. It was the same laugh she had heard back in that room where she knew she was tortured and was glad that she didn't remember.

She was grateful for this. But she still found herself shooting her head into all directions. It would seem like paranoia, but something was telling her. Something was telling her as her facial expression became panic, her breath quickened, and her heart beat raced. Something or someone…was here. That laugh wasn't a laugh – it was a warning. And she was freaking out. But, as she turned to the direction from where she came, she saw him. It looked just like him. Just like him from the warehouse, from what she could tell at least. He was wearing the same black boots, same black pants, and same black long sleeved shirt which deeply contrasted with his white skin. His hair was still long and greasy, and his face didn't look like a man's.

But she couldn't see him up close. He was far away, way at the end of the street while she was in the far middle. She found herself backing up. "No," she whispered, hot tears falling. "No," she repeated, her voice barely a whisper.

His menacing laughter was her only reply. She found herself backing up. He wasn't walking towards her, but his figure was becoming closer. A loud screeching noise muffled her thoughts. It was more like a scream, a scream of terror, maybe her own screams from a year and a half ago. Then another sounded. Then another, and another, and another. Each one was followed by the exact same sound, but only louder, and more painful. Her heart beat even faster. She was panicking. She needed to get out, but her backing up did no good. Her feet felt glued to the ground.

She felt a hard, mushy object behind her. She turned around to see a man. For a half of a second, she was about to cling to him and ask him for help, but he had a look. The man was tall, blond, and bulky. He had this look, and not one that was helpful. It was evil, _penetrating_. He had intentions, and that was for sure, and it wasn't' to help her. The worse of the situation was…that he had buddies. Bella glanced to her sides and behind her. There were three other men. She was a little glad it wasn't Drake – if the laughter belonged to Drake. Maybe it had been the man she had bumped into and she overreacted and hallucinated.

The blond one grabbed her arm, right above her wrist which did no good. Reacting to the defense lessons she had been taking for five years, she released herself, and out of instinct, lodging her elbow into his stomach. She grabbed his arm twisted it around his back, and pinned him to one of the stone walls – a trick Charlie taught her when she was fifteen. She had a personal trainer back at Phoenix when she realized that she was trying to be killed. She took it to a defensive trainer, teaching her how to defend herself all the way from daily predators to certain predicaments that caused for quite a fight. When someone tries to kill you everyday, she decided defense was key. And these four were nothing. Plus, she had the brands on her side.

All though Bella could take on a single predator, her strategy still sucked. Someone pounced on her and pulled her off the blond. She was hurtled into the wall. The three that faced her smiled. One approached her, whom she kept away by kicking. Heels were becoming a must these days apparently.

The words rang in Bella's ears. "Control it."

Easily, she approached one of the men. She grasped his neck in her palm. She didn't think she'd need to try. And she didn't. With the mere whim to disable the man she was able to. She watched, painlessly, as the man she held to her power dropped to his knees, apparently in pain. Afraid he might be killed, she let go. She shot a menacing look toward the other three. They all looked in shock and terror. With a smirk, she flashed her wrists to them as the brands lit up. She found it quite cool and on queue, even though it slightly burnt her.

One man stumbled as he ran. The other two just shot passed him, not caring about the other two staggering behind. Bella almost laughed to herself. She turned her full attention to her brands. "Looks like you are helpful after all…" she mused to no one but herself.

"Apparently so."

Bella looked up to see none other than Mr. Cullen Guy.


	5. Chapter Four

Branded: Chapter Four

"OH, WELL…" Bella began, taken by surprise. She was now backing out of the shadows as Mr. Cullen Guy was approaching her, a crooked smile upon his lips. She wasn't sure what that smile meant. It was a cross between mischievous and undoubtedly attractive. Bella hated to say that she liked both ways together.

"Bella…" He sort of greeted, or at least that was what it was meant to be.

"Um…"

"I see you've been using those…" he gestured towards her wrists as he finally escaped the shadows. She could now see him perfectly. His skin seemed to glow and so perfect. His crooked smile shined in the sunlight.

She was dazzled.

"What…" she didn't know what to do, what to say. Then, the defensive wall shot up. Her face became hard, as did her tone. "How did you know I was here!?" She demanded. "And what are _you doing_ here?"

He only laughed, as if not taking her seriously. She only blew aggravated and turned around to walk off. But as she began, she felt a hand on her shoulder; quickly she turned around, catching his wrist, and catching it in her grasp, and stared him directly in the eyes. Once again, he was shocked.

"How…" he began, almost speechless. "How can you do that?"

She smirked. "It's not that hard." She let his wrist go and turned around to head away again, her bag around her shoulder which is where the book Mia gave her lay.

She began to the corner until she heard him. "Have lunch with me!" He called.

"What?" She turned around abruptly, as if she had heard him wrong.

"Have lunch with me." He repeated, his crooked smile returning, yet a bit of hopefulness in his eyes.

Bella couldn't believe what she was hearing. And then again – she could. Mr. Cullen Guy had already established he was very much interested in flirting with her. She looked to her watch. She had a few hours until Charlie would get home. An hour long lunch wouldn't hurt, if it lasted that long.

"Just don't still my book this time." She answered slyly.

"Promise."

((xxx))

"You know, a burger would have been fine." She said as Mr. Cullen Guy led the way to the back of an Italian restaurant.

"I don't take girls to fast food restaurants." He stated flirtatiously. "I'd rather actually attempt at satisfying them."

_Satisfying them_? She thought. She ignored the last comment and got to business.

"Why are you here? How did you know I was here?" She began as they finally sat.

"What do you mean?" He questioned, pretending to be curious.

"Dude…" she whined to herself, her head down.

"Please, call me Edward." This was odd. Now she would have to get out of the habit of calling Mr. Cullen Guy…Mr. Cullen Guy! This would be awkward.

"Well, _Edward_…" she mocked, "answer my question."

His crooked smile vanished, his lips formed a straight line, and for the first time to Bella's acknowledgment, his eyes adopted a type of seriousness. "I want to know what you are."

She was aware of this. Ever since he had pulled her into the janitor's closet and she had seen his face, she knew that he would definitely find out what she was. But she wasn't a _what_. She didn't know if she wanted to tell a complete stranger everything she knew. But first, if she were to, she'd have to find out why – not just because he asked.

"What's it to you?" She retorted, slyly.

"You need to tell me." he continued.

"Well, I don't know why I should. Do I even know what you're asking?"

"You do." He remarked confidently.

"And how is that?" She leaned into the table, closing in some distance between them.

"I saw you in the alley. I saw what you did. I also know that you shouldn't be able to react to me the way you do. My reflexes are inhumanely different from yours."

Was that an insult?

"Excuse me?" She asked.

"We should have seen you coming." He whispered to himself.

"What?" Bella asked. Was she some drug dealer now? Or where they psychic?

"I need to know…" he said slowly, trying to get his point across.

Bella didn't want to tell him. She didn't know if she could trust him. She then realized that she wasn't being held here. She shot him a disapproving look and then got up and made her way to the front of the restaurant. When she was turning out the door and heading in the general direction of her truck.

"Bella wait!" She heard behind her. He was fast.

"And how do you know my name!" She demanded on her way to her truck, still walking.

"I hear things," he joked.

"Ugh, you shouldn't believe everything you hear." She mused meanly.

"Fine, forgive me." he grabbed a hold of her arm, not tightly, very lightly; just enough for her to know that he wanted her to stop.

Reluctantly she looked him sideways. His topaz eyes were pleading. "Please. I can't tell you exactly why I need to know, but it's important. For both you and me."

"How is that supposed to make sense?" She criticized.

"Just…try… Try to understand."

She adopted a feeling of sympathy and seriousness. "How am I supposed to tell you my darkest secret," her eyes were now the one pleading, "when you can't even tell me why I can tell you, why I need to."

"Bel-"

"No," she argued quietly, her voice breaking.

A few moments of silence passed. She truly didn't know this person. How could she tell him? "Please, come back to the restaurant with me, and I'll try to explain," he offered.

She didn't even bother considering it at first, but then thought. What would she have to lose if she heard him out?

She reluctantly followed him back to the table in the back of the restaurant at the private seating. The waiter arrived back to them.

"Can I get you anything?" She asked.

"No I'm fine," Edward replied.

"No thank you." Bella replied herself.

"Really, you should-"

"No thank you." She repeated, now looking at the waiter. Edward looked almost insulted. The waiter put his tablet in his pocket and walked off, sensing a tenseness, and was more that quick to leave their vicinity. "So," she said, "explain yourself."

"Bella," he began, "I've been around…a long time."

"Not as long as I have I bet."

"Longer."

"Sure," she retorted. Her remarks were short and almost cold.

"You've no idea what you're talking about." He shot, almost hotly. She could have sworn his eyes blackened the tiniest bit.

"Apparently not."

"We have our secrets." He began to play along with her. He could be cold too, he thought.

"As do I," she laughed. He walked himself into that one.

"But believe me;" he said solemnly, "our secrets may affect each other greatly."

Bella leaned back into the table, her arms still crossed.

"And how is that?"

"They just do." He answered sincerely.

Bella didn't know what she was doing. She hadn't a clue why she suddenly trusted him. It was as if she could trust him with her life. With his words, she felt a little more accompanied, as if she really wasn't alone. Yes, Melissa knew, but Bella had this feeling, this feeling that maybe Edward had a secret. Not hers, she knew. But maybe he had his own and of equal shock.

"When I was sixteen," she began, "I was kidnapped. I was drugged. And, for some odd reason, I was returned home." She didn't speak loudly, only loud enough for him to hear. "I woke up with these…brands." She held up her despicable marks. "My parents thought I just went out and got drunk and got tattoos. But it wasn't that." Her facial expression became distant. "I remember…certain…memories from the night that I got these. I remember his face." Edward listened intently. "Barely." She added, looking to him, and she saw his expression. "I remember the pain. That's all. Weeks later, I got these…abilities. Now, I can't control them." She looked him in the eye. "That's why I was in the alley." She explained. "There was a store," she pulled out her book, "that I thought could help." She handed it to him. "The clerk gave it to me, there was a fire, I happened to survive, and the door was gone." Edward looked to her, incredulous, and then eyed the book. "I wasn't sure if it really happened. It seemed so unbelievable. But when I saw the book…"

"…you realized it wasn't a dream, or a hallucination," he finished.

"Well, yes." She agreed. "I found that whoever gave me these marks isn't exactly human." Edward's eyes grew wide as he eyed her. "I don't know what or who he is. But I do know that he's old. Very old."

"How old?" He asked.

Bella recalled the published journal of the demon referred to as a relic. "Ancient. They call him Drake."

"Who?"

"Apparently there are more of people like me. Marked by him, claimed by him."

"Interesting…"

((xxx))

The reaction Bella received from Edward was not one she expected. She had explained to him what she did know, and he took more of an interest than as a shock. She didn't know whether to be relieved by this, or disturbed. What was she to do now? Would he actually make contact with her after attaining this information? _So, how ya doin'? How're the brands?_ She couldn't see this. For one, Edward didn't seem to speak present day vernacular, and he didn't seem the one to be too…distressed. Despite his facial expressions, he seemed like a rather calm person.

"Oh my God, Bella!" Melissa exclaimed in a whisper in the parking lot. "You told _Edward Cullen_?!" Was it that unbelievable?

"Calm down, Lissa. I didn't have much of a choice. Well," she corrected, "I did. In fact, I had a lot of choice. But I told him, okay?" She looked to Melissa, hoping to see a calm expression, but instead received a rather upset one. "Well, you said he doesn't talk. It's not like he's gonna gossip or anything." Bella tried to calm Melissa down. Of course she meant well, but wasn't she overreacting slightly?

"Well, you said he had a secret, too. What is it!?" She asked.

"I don't…" Bella hesitated, "exactly know…"

"What?" She whispered, barely. "You told him yours, and you don't know his?" Bella tried to form a half hearted smile, that didn't come out too well. Melissa groaned.

"Come on, Lissa. Calm down!" Bella pleaded. "Look, if he says anything…I'll set him on fire."

"Why are you begging for _my_ forgiveness?" Melissa asked, and she had a good point.

"Well…" Bella didn't exactly know, "I just really want to believe he won't tell anyone," she guessed as Edward pulled into the parking lot, his siblings getting out of his Volvo, one by one. Bella caught herself looking, as did Edward, and pulled away suddenly.

Bella made her way to English with a silent Melissa. She didn't hear any whispers or receive any unwanted stares. It all seemed rather normal, as far as a teenage life with harboring demon brands go. She went through her day with no problems at all. It all seemed normal, until after sixth period.

As she made her way to her locker, without Melissa, her phone sounded. She pulled her cell phone out of her pocket to examine it, to see that she had a text message. There was an address and a signature. It was the signature that got Bella off guard.

_Don't Die,_

_Drake._

She almost felt her stomach rip in two. She dropped her books in her locker, slamming it shut, not bothering which ones she had and which ones she didn't. She jogged her way out to the parking lot. She felt eyes on her. Her heart began to race. Drake had her number? He wants to meet her, apparently. What was happening? How did he get her number? She jumped when her cell phone rang.

She jerked it out of her tote. "What do you want!?" she demanded abruptly.

"Bella?" It was Edward. She turned around, dropping her phone to see him standing behind her. "What's wrong?" he asked, clearly worried for her.

"N-nothing." She lied. She didn't want Edward involved. She turned around and tried to unlock her truck.

"Bella…" he began.

"It's nothing, Edward, just… I'm fine." She stated, looking him in the eye.

He held up her phone in his hand. It didn't look like it had even hit the ground! He began scrolling through.

"No!" Bella urged. She remembered how she mentioned Drake. Edward could _not_ become involved in Drake. She lent to him, trying to retrieve her cell phone, but it was too late, he had already seen it.

"Is this who you were talking about?" Edward demanded.

Bella was silent at first. She tried to deny it, but decided not to. "Yes," she breathed, her eyes closed. She expected an outburst, oddly. She didn't even know him!

"You're not going." He said.

"Excuse me," she laughed.

"You can't be serious!" He exclaimed.

She didn't know if she was going to go or not. She knew she needed to know who she was dealing with. She needed to know.

"No." He repeated.

"Edward, I need to know…" she begged.

They stood there, staring at each other. Her eyes were pleading. "I'm coming with you." He stated.


	6. Chapter Five

Branded: Chapter Five

Bella had to make an excuse in order to leave Forks. The address she received from Drake was in Seattle, and she couldn't exactly tell her dad why she was going. She was having a difficult attempt at trying to make that excuse when there was a knock at the door.

"So, Bella, where exactly _are _you going today?" Charlie asked, before the knock occurred.

Bella popped up, happy for the excuse to leave Charlie's presence. She practically ran to the door. The knocking at had stopped, but she was still eager to get the door open. But as she opened the door, there she saw Edward, standing there patiently waiting.

"So," he smiled a crooked smile that Bella had seemed to really become accustom to, "You're ready to go to Seattle I suppose."

Bella adopted a look of confusion until Charlie walked up behind her.

"Oh, is that where you're going?" Charlie asked. "You should have told me you were going with…" he looked to Edward, as if asking his name.

"Edward," Edward obliged, "Cullen." He held out his hand for Charlie to shake.

"Yeah, dad…" Bella tried to play along with Edward's rather convenient timing as Charlie took the boy's hand, "Um…Edward's giving me a ride to Seattle for…"

"Book store." Edward finished simply, attempting to charm Charlie.

"Oh, well, Bells, you were complaining of a lack of book stores around here." Charlie beamed as he happened to fall for Edward's charm.

"Yeah…" Bella trailed off as she grabbed her coat, and ran out the door, trying to pull Edward with her.

"I still don't see how you can do that." Edward said, staring at the back of Bella as she pulled him along, wanting to leave as soon as possible.

"Well, I still-" She was about to tell him how he shouldn't think of it that way, and how much of a sexist he sounded, but she was stopped by the site of his car. It was a shiny silver Volvo, and he fit the car perfectly. "Nice car…" she couldn't stop herself from saying.

She heard a chuckle from him. "Thank you," he shot her a crooked smile, actually causing her stomach to do flips – for some odd reason – as he strode to the passenger side. She found herself eyeing him oddly as he opened the passenger door, and gestured for her to take a seat. As she sat, he was already opening his door. She could barely keep herself from dropping he jaw, but tried to ignore it. It still puzzled her though.

"So, that was good timing." She mused as Edward pulled out of the driveway.

"I heard you two talking…" he replied.

Bella seemed confused. "What were you listening in or something?" she asked.

"Something like that…" he had a sly smile on lips.

"What?!" she almost exclaimed. "So you're eavesdropping on me now?"

"I wasn't eavesdropping. You can't call it that." He laughed.

"And why not?" She scoffed.

"Because I was a mile away…" he looked at her

She was terribly confused but just let it pass. But it kept bugging her. "What do you mean?" She blurted out, still confused. He only laughed.

"Patience, Bella." He said, smiling crookedly to himself.

Bella did her best to dismiss it and turned to look out the window. The car was full of only silence. She wanted to talk with him. She wanted to ask him of everything she could. For some reason, Edward intrigued her. She had so many questions. Some she knew she should wait to ask, but there were those few, she told herself. There were a couple of questions she could ask him. And didn't she answer his questions…that is, the ones she was willing to answer.

"I don't really find it fair, you know?" She tried, staring out the windshield.

"What is it you do not find fair?" he inquired.

"That I answered all of your questions, yet you insist on keeping me in the dark about your secrets…" She kept her stare frontward, not looking at him, afraid of what his reaction might be. He noised a sound what he usually made when he crooked his smile. She turned to look at him, who was staring at her. His eyes had a gleam in them, his topaz eyes that seemed to make her heart leap. She couldn't look away. She was entranced, but eventually shook herself out of it. She turned, uncertain of what had just happened. Something weighed heavy on her mind, like those topaz eyes of his had just locked into her soul. She felt naked.

She wrapped her arms around herself, unsure of what she was feeling, and leaned against her door, losing her support. "Do you feel uncomfortable around me, Bella?" He asked her. She looked to him, and he was looking back at her. He had never looked away. She considered his question. No, she wasn't uncomfortable. She felt naked, but only because he was the only being she knew that had the kindness and manners to look her in the eye. She was never looked in the eye, not in a good way. Only after she received her brands and she began to start trouble that the adults in her life decided to try to scare her by raising their voices and pointed their oh-so scary index fingers. She was never looked into out of interest or love. Knowing Edward seemed to do this a lot, look into her eyes, she felt as if he were looking into her soul, and in doing so, attempted to know Bella. Maybe her brands were safe with him at her side.

But how could he protect her. But as he looked at her, she couldn't seem to look away. Her stomach heated up, and her heart began to race. She couldn't help herself but say, "No, not at all." And it wasn't the truth. She didn't feel uncomfortable, no. But she felt safe. Safe and protected. Like he had this ability to sense her, and to sense what she was going through, and she had the feeling that he would stay with her. But who was he? she asked herself. Who was he to help her, and why did he care… "Why?" She asked aloud.

"Why, what?" He seemed confused. His eyebrows arched and his eyes adopted an almost hurt out look.

"Why do you care?"

"If you'd rather me not…" He wasn't getting it. She had forgotten the current conversation in her own thoughts.

"No," she corrected, attempting to lead him onto the right track. "Why is it that you want to help me? It's not helping you in any way, is it?" Her tone was interested, but her face was still, as if not knowing how exactly to express her feeling toward the subject.

"Well…" he began. He was actually going to attempt an answer! For the first time in what seemed like eternity, he looked back to the road and continued talking. "My family, is no normal family, Bella." He glanced towards her, and back to the road, a certain seriousness in his reason.

"And I am no normal girl, Edward." She replied.

He chuckled. "Yes, that is true," he agreed. He connected eyes with her again. "No girl can stick up for herself like you, and no girl in all of Forks has morals like you."

She was confused. "And how exactly do you know of other girls' morals?" She inquired, almost implying something.

He caught her implication, and laughed. "That concept is for later to discuss." He answered. "But you are different. Very different. I noticed it the first time I saw you."

"Oh, you mean when you plotted to steal my biology book?" She sneered.

"No, at lunch actually." It dawned on her. She remembered how she and Melissa had discussed the Cullen Clan, and how she had practically ogled all over Edward at the time, when he had earned his profound nickname: Mr. Cullen Guy. She chuckled.

"What?" He asked a smile on his face.

"It's...uh," she breathed, "it's nothing…." She trailed off into a small fit of laughter.

"But, what did you mean?" He continued, ignoring her teenage girl spasm.

She composed herself and gathered her thoughts, ranging back from the biology book incident, to the alley; all the way to the conversation (more like argument) they had about her trip to Seattle to meet Drake. "You didn't have to get involved." She smiled at him, this time looking into his eyes. "At first I just thought you were a gossiper wanting something to hold against me for blackmail or something…"

"Never." He replied, seriously. She only smiled wider. Appreciative.

"But you wanted to come for my safety." She finished. "You did it to help, not to gossip."

He took a deep breath. "Bella, I will admit, at first, you had me scared. Not because I wanted to gossip, but let's say, for my family's standards for the paranormal, you worried us." Her eyebrows furrowed, confused. "Try to understand." He requested, with seriousness and sincerity in his voice. "We are…just as – maybe more – abnormal."

"That's impossible." She mused.

"No," he trailed off as he pulled into a driveway, "it's not."

Bella observed the location. They were at the docks, in front of a warehouse. It was twilight and Charlie would be calling soon. Bella quickly dove into her pocket as Edward opened the door for her, and turned off her cell phone. The pavement was wet and the light glistened onto it. Her gaze stretched to where the concrete spread and eventually ended where the docks were. She peered up at the warehouse. It was tall, the door wide open, only darkness seen. Her heart caught in her throat.

Her thoughts lingered back to the alley where she had seen Drake, his ivory skin, his greasy black hair, and his black attire. Not to mention that malicious smile. The smile that haunted her dreams. The only thing she could remember from that night was that smile. She felt Edward place his hand on her shoulder. She looked to him, unsure, to see his serious expression. "Bella," he said, a low voice, "I don't know who we're dealing with. And apparently neither do you. Stay close and listen to everything I say. No arguing, just do it."

A streak of rebelliousness shot through her stomach, but she swallowed it. She only nodded and began toward the building. Edward kept up with her swiftly. Her heart pounded deeply in her chest. "Don't be nervous," a comforting hand found its way to her lower back: Edward's hand. "It will be fine," she felt his lips close to her ear which only made her walk faster.

"The quicker in, the quicker out." She stated simply.

They were in the dark. Bella couldn't see, yet Edward seemed to be able to guide her through the darkness easily. He shushed her and pulled on her side, closer to him and to slow her down. She felt her back against his chest as he held her protectively, his left hand under her left arm. The lights quickly came on, revealing more wet concrete and rows and rows of wood and outdoor supplies. She grabbed hold of Edward's arm as she jumped slightly.

"Sshh, it's only the light." He pointed to the switch in which he had just flicked. She placed her hand to her heart as she exhaled deeply. "You should give me more credit, Bella." He said, closing in on her, even though they were already quite close.

"What makes you think you can protect me?" She countered.

He could have laughed. "As I said, not enough credit." His lips lingered over hers as she read the composure in his eyes which walked her face and locked with her own eyes, her worried ones. He lifted his hand to her chest; she quickly backed away. He looked in her in the eye, telling her to trust her. He placed his hand on her heart. "It's going to beat out of your chest if you don't calm down." He stated simply. His hands were cold. Very cold. She formed chill bumps on her skin. If she could have formed coherent thoughts at that moment, considering she was in kissing distance of him, she would have adopted a confused expression. But she wasn't coherent. So the fact that he had known how fast her heart was beating before he felt her heart didn't occur to her. At all.

But what she did notice was his eyes boring back into her soul, once again, making her feel naked, _again_. She suddenly felt safe again, unsure why, but she did. She wasn't sure what was happening until she realized his hands were on her hips and one of her own hands rested on his chest. Her eyes became heavy and she wanted to stop this. But she couldn't pull away. His nose touched hers as his lips closed in on hers. Her heart raced again and his hand found her heart again. "Composure, Bella," he mused.

"That would be important now wouldn't it?"

Bella's hands flew from Edward's chest as they both broke apart, scanning their surroundings. A voice had just called out to them. Then, it laughed. It was that same laugh that haunted her dreams. It was the laugh that accompanied the malicious smile. Her breath caught up with her heart beat. She needed to find that voice. She began through the aisles of hardware, the sound of her heels echoing throughout the building's walls. She was very thankful for wearing converse instead of her heeled boots today.

"Bella," Edward followed easily, "I told you to stay close."

She became frantic. She kept turning, aisle after aisle, trying to find him.

"You'll never find me, Bella…"He was young, or at least the human form he took was. She could tell by his voice.

She heard a growl behind her and something locked onto her. She felt two cold arms wrap around her stomach. She almost panicked but saw it was Edward. It was Edward! His eyes were black – pitch black – and she felt his chest rumble as he growled. He…was _growling_? Her heart stopped beating for a split second, at the sight of his posture and his eyes, and the sound coming from his chest. But she then followed his gaze. He was starring at a pale, yet dark figure. It was the figure from the alley at Port Angeles.

He wasn't short, nor was he ridiculously tall. He was about Edward's size, and had dark, greasy hair that hung in locks around his face. He wore a black turtle neck sweater, leather trench coat, black pants, and he wore combat boots. His skin was pale and his smirk was malicious, definitely matched his laugh. His smirk hung from his lips as his eyes dared Edward.

"Hanging out with the vamps, these days I see, dear Isabella." His voice pierced her mind, her heart.

Drake.

"You son of a -" Before Bella could continue, a terrible pain shot through her stomach and she felt herself slump. She was losing consciousness. Then, as her eyes involuntarily fell closed, she collapsed in Edward's arms.

She saw Edward's face as he called out to her, telling her to wake up. "Bella! Bella!" But his voice faded out.

Now she was in a dark room with Drake. She wasn't even sure if it was a room. It was a black abyss, enabling her to become lost all over again. But she was in that circle of light again. And she felt her hands and feet as they were restrained to the chair she sat in. Her tears were hot as they slid down her blood and dirt drenched cheeks and her breathing was uneasy as she tried to exhale and inhale through heartrending sobs. She was in the room again, like in her dreams.

His laugh echoed throughout the room. The rest of it became dimmed as the light became more focused. She could see the shadow of him as he neared the lit area. As she scanned the floor, unaware of why her body wouldn't react to what she knew happened in her dreams but her mind did, she noticed the blood smeared on the floor. Hand prints and foot prints wear a killer walked away from a dead, tortured body. Some prints were a darker red, telling her that she was not the first to be killed there. The walls were smeared with, not only blood, but scorch marks. There were holes in the walls, as if punctured with a knife and dragged down, causing damage. She wondered if Drake did that to his victim's flesh.

She tried to call out to him, but even though her mind remembered exactly what would happen, her body seemed to react differently. She told herself to try to loosen the ropes that restrained her wrists, but her body wouldn't listen. Now that Bella's body had been trained by a defensive trainer, she could have easily maneuvered the chair, broken it, and become free. Yes, she would still be tied up, but she could just as easily maneuver her arms to her front, enabling her better chances at an escape. But now, her body would not cooperate. So she was stuck witnessing this entire account, hopefully a bit longer, just like last time.

She played out what she knew so far. His boot came into view. She scanned up his boot and to his leg, up his torso, to his mouth, where his smirk hung. And this time, her gaze traveled higher. His eyes. She met his eyes. For lack of a better word, they were _evil_. She stared into the black soulless pits and could see victim after victim, every life he had claimed and tortured. She could see the blood shed, hear the screams, smell the decapitating bodies, and taste the pleas they confessed to him. All of them were women. They were all defenseless and scared and their defenselessness was taken advantage of. They were kidnapped. They were tortured. They were raped. And they were murdered brutally, slowly, and painfully.

As she ventured through the dark, careless abyss of his eyes, she could see her own murder. Flashes of her screaming, the ripping her hoodie, and the tear of the pants of her jeans came to mind. She remembered how he had smirked at her as she tried to run from him while he tried to strip her in the front room. She recalled her staggered footsteps as she tripped over her torn jeans. She remembered the blade he had then plunged into her stomach. And she then remembered as she was pulled by the feet, where she now was. He pulled her by her ankles as she was trying to grab for something to hold onto, her nails breaking on the hardwood floor, leaving scratches along the way, and her own blood leaving a trail behind her. She watched as her blood trailed, thinking it would be the last thing she'd ever see, the trademark of her death.

She felt something shake her. She could hear Edward's voice. She tried to climb to his voice. She tried to look away from the man pulling her away. She couldn't feel him anymore, and she couldn't hear his cries to her, only Edward's. She could see still everything, too. She tried to hold on to Edward's velvety voice, trying to find its hook and cling on for dear life. Eventually she found it. But as she did, she was pulled up straight by Drake after dragging her through her own blood to the dark room with the chair, and she was slammed against the wall. Then he would strip her of the rest of her hoodie, but before the visual came into play, she saw who looked like a runway model. He wasn't Edward. He was blond, and his face was perfectly sculpted, yes like Edward's, but Edward's hair was bronze.

Bella's vision came into focus as she saw five to seven faces around her. She couldn't seem to make sense of anything but the man in front of her, the male model.

"Bella, my name is Dr. Carlisle Cullen. Can you hear me?" Suddenly, it all came into play.

But her nerves attacked her as she recalled what she just saw. She lurched up, a distressed look upon her face. As she breathed heavily as she felt a cold, soothing hand on her lower back. She saw Edward, but scaled her surroundings. Seven faces all looked at her, worriedly. She wasn't sure what had happened. Where was Drake? _Where was she?_ And who in the hell were these people? She then recognized the dancer and the blond guy from the cafeteria and The Pull. She recognized the big one from The Pull as well. The blond girl was from the hallway after Edward confronted her in the broom closet. She also added her sense together and found that the brunette next to _Dr. Carlisle Cullen_ was Mrs. Cullen.

_She was surrounded by the entire Cullen family._

"What the hell!" She cried.


	7. Chapter Six

Branded: Chapter Six

"What the hell!" She cried.

"Well," the big one scoffed, "she's awake."

Bella had no idea what was going on. First of all, she still had no idea what happened with Edward back at the warehouse. Second, what had happened at the warehouse? She just went into a…dream state. She could feel everything: the tear of her hoodie, the stab when Drake had plunged a blade through her flesh, and – most of all – she could still smell the blood. The visual of her being dragged across the hardwood floor, the blood she trialed as she was dragged, and the sound of her nails as they scraped across the floor and as they broke, causing her to bleed through her fingers as well as her face, abdomen, and soon to be arms as Drake would slit them with a blade.

She was afraid of what happened once she was in that room. She remembered the rest of her hoodie being torn off of her, her bra revealed to the man who was about to… She flinched at the thought.

"I saw everything…" She heard.

She looked up to see the blond guy looking at her, sympathy and sincerity in his eyes. "Wh -" she began, getting up and backing away from them.

"Jasper can feel emotion," Carlisle answered. "While you were unconscious, Jasper could see everything you saw, most possibly because the emotion you felt was so powerful, that it pulled him in with you. Edward saw everything as well."

"Empath?" Bella asked, looking at Jasper. "But, those…"

"Wow," voiced someone. Bella scanned amongst them to the blond woman, who looked almost as beautiful as she found Edward. "She actually knows the term," she scoffed.

"Of course," Bella spat back, "I've been reading up on demons for the past week. Of course I would know."

With that, the room fell silent, until the largest one sounded. "Demons? Really?"

"Um…well," Bella retorted, not in a very nice tone, "when you have brands on your wrists than enable you to set things aflame, conjure objects, manipulate matter, and burn the crap out of somebody, you tend to get curious if you're evil or not." She was surprised that she was smarting off so early into her acquaintance with these strangers. She defiantly woke up quick enough, as if she were never asleep at all.

She was expecting a "How's that going for you?" from Mrs. Sports Illustrated, but nothing came. Instead Carlisle spoke.

"Interesting, that's very…"

Bella took an exasperated sigh. "I need to get home," she said to herself. "Oh, holy crow…" she exclaimed to herself as she pulled out her cell phone. "How long was I out?" She asked.

"A couple of hours," Edward answered.

"Oh…Shhh…" she began to swear as she saw that her cell phone read midnight. This was _not_ good. With her reputation with staying out late, sneaking out, and making irresponsible decisions (even though she never really made them) her dad would not be proud. Especially since Forks had a ten o'clock curfew for teenagers under eighteen. Would her father, the chief, really charge his own daughter…? But she was more concerned of what he would do to her as a parent, other than as a police officer. "I need to go." Bella said simply and turned around to the door, which took her no effort to find.

She heard footsteps behind her, and she knew it was Edward. "You don't have to follow me everywhere Edward…" she said.

"I'm you're ride," he replied, worried.

She stopped, mentally slapping herself, "Oh, duh, that's right." She waited for him, not for long since he seemed to be rather fast.

"I was quite worried when you collapsed like that," he informed her as they were in the car on the way to her house.

"Yes, well…" she looked for something to say, but she remembered. She had just passed out, with no recollection of what had happened with Drake. She took one look at him and he sent her into a dream state. "What happened to Drake!" she exclaimed, so worried that she turned in her seat to get the best look of Edward she could manage, her arm resting on the dash and the other on the arm rest.

"He cut out as soon as you hit the pavement, pretty hard I might add," he replied. "Carlisle wants you to see him as soon as possible if you feel any dizziness or headaches."

"Oh, I forgot, he's a doctor." She said to herself. "Why'd you take me to your house?" She wasn't offended (not that much), a little, but not a lot. She didn't like the idea of dependence, which is why she didn't like the idea of dating, to get attached to someone. Ever since the brands, she felt like she needed someone desperately. She eventually promised herself that she wouldn't ever need anyone. Perhaps this is why she resented hanging out with Edward as much as she did, because she enjoyed it, and so did he. She was afraid that something would form. Maybe in him taking her to his house, for Carlisle to look her over, it showed that Edward truly cared about her well being and not her brands. This sent her heart fluttering again, and then she reminded herself about her independence and shot down the butterflies.

"Yes, I thought it convenient." He was looking at her.

"You know I realized that you have a tendency not to look at the road." She stated.

"You needn't worry," he smiled crookedly.

"I'd rather you do."

"Bella, will you trust me to protect you already?" he mused aloud, and turned to the road.

What did he just say? "Protect me?" She repeated.

"I've come to the conclusion that too many people have tried to kill you and that you need to be protected at all times, which is why I suggest you stay near one of us at all times." Once he had said _one of us_ she assumed he meant the entire Cullen family. He was telling her his intentions on protecting her. "Especially me," he finished. He wanted to protect her. She felt safe with him, and she trusted him, and she hated herself for it. For the longest time, since she was sixteen, she was able to keep to herself, not to really associate with anyone except Jude, Mickey, and Nate. (Her best friends from Phoenix) She had learned this for her own good.

Once she had gone through those fights with her mother and everyone around her, she felt unwanted, not taken seriously. She hadn't a memory of that night, and no one believed her, and blamed it on the supposed high amount of alcohol she consumed that night. She knew something was wrong, and she remembered being drug into an alley, and a cloth smothering her mouth and nose, so she was worried. She didn't know what was done to her, but she knew whoever did it knew where she lived. This was one of the reasons she left Arizona in the first place. Yes, her mother was in danger, but her mother was now on the road with Phil, her new husband.

That was another reason. With all of the commotion of her rebelliousness (which was caused by the stress she carried due to the low amount of care and respect) and Phil absolutely casting a shadow over her, causing her mother not to see or take Bella seriously, she needed to get out. She needed to get away. She felt a pain in her stomach as the feel of being unwanted came back, the feeling she got the day she boarded the plane with a fake goodbye from Phil, and what Bella thought were fake tears from Renee.

But then she remembered. She remembered the being right beside her: the being that promised to protect her. She was cared for. She was wanted, apparently. She found her stomach fluttering again, and she shot her pride down with a shot gun and looked him in the eyes as she found him looking back into hers, once _again…_making her feel naked: dazzling her. "Thank you," was all she could muster.

Confusion spread across his face. _Why was she thanking him?_ He probably thought. She didn't care. She was thanking him, for caring. He was the only one besides Melissa who cared, but Edward didn't seem to need to get to know Bella first.

They pulled into her driveway. She turned to get out, but Edward was there in no time at all, opening the door. This almost scared her, but it didn't. She had brands that glowed, burned, gave her nightmares, and gave her paranormal abilities. She got out, looking at him. "I still don't know how you do that?" she teased, smirking.

"It's not hard…" he replied, smiling crookedly. He walked her to the door. Charlie would be difficult to handle. "He's not angry," he informed her. "He got Carlisle's call. You passed out in the middle of a bookstore and I brought you back to him. Charlie will be worried, and he will not punish you."

"What…how?" She found herself asking.

"I'll explain in a few hours."

"What…" she was trying to object but his hands where on her hips again and his lips didn't waste time to linger. He pressed her lips against his own and she found herself kissing him, deeply. Her fingers found his hair, and his hands found her lower back, pulling her closer.

He pulled away, sweetly pecking her on the lips once and his face adopted a calm face, but she stayed in her daze, her eyes still closed and her head still tilted up. She heard him chuckle. The door opened and she heard Charlie.

"Bella!" Charlie exclaimed.

Bella opened her eyes, Edward-less. He had kissed her and just cut out? She heard a honk and she turned to the driveway to see his Volvo pulling out. She smiled, and turned back to Charlie, actually passing him, really, and headed up the staircase.

"Are you alright?" Charlie probed. "Do you need a doctor? Should I call Dr. Cullen again?"

Bella quickly snapped her head around to look at her father. "Dad!" She exclaimed, "I'm fine!"

"Have you been kissing?" his accusation sent her hands to her lips.

"Going to bed," she replied, cutting out to her room, still in a daze from Edward's kiss.

She floated to her room, grabbing her toiletry bag and headed to the bathroom. She quickly stripped of her sweat-drenched clothes and stepped into the tub, turning on the shower head. She was still so…light headed. If she didn't breath and didn't look away from the shower head, she would surely drown. And of course is she was still at home, she would feel so ashamed to feel this way about anyone – not that she knew how she felt about Edward. She knew she was deeply cared for him and was felt for by him, or he wouldn't be going through all this trouble.

There was still the question of what he was. The image of Edward growling at Drake, his eyes dark, and his pose intent on releasing her and attacking Drake flashed through her eyes. But as dangerous and scary it should have been, and as scared for herself she should have been, she only felt all the more safe because as soon as she hit the ground, her last visual was Edward, with topaz eyes, hovering over her, a worried expression on his face. He was no monster. He was protective of her; that was apparent. He was protecting her from her own monster, Drake.

But however, the Cullens, most possibly, were like Edward. Edward obtained some sort of ability, as did Jasper. She concluded the rest of them did as well. If Jasper was an empath, and Edward saw what Jasper saw, then something must have enabled Edward to see it. Maybe he and Jasper shared a connection, or maybe it was Edward's ability that could tap into Jasper like Jasper tapped into Bella's dream state. They were connected. But it then hit her.

Jasper saw what she saw. And in that being realized, she knew that Edward saw what she saw: the screaming, the running, the memory that implicated her torture, rape, and murder. Edward knew and Edward would bring it up. It worried her. How would she try to talk with…Edward, a guy, and a guy she admired, about her own rape and murder? First of all, she wasn't even sure of what he saw, and wasn't sure of what he thought.

Then…what were the Cullens. Jasper could feel other's emotions, and do more possibly. (He could control them of what she read.) She didn't remember specifically what could control emotions. It was rumored as a talent of the _cold ones_ which she hadn't a clue of what that meant. She remembered that Edward was cold, like an ice pack on your skin after you hurt your knee cold, possibly freezer cold. He was apparently a cold one; she could at least figure that out. But why was she worrying? He planned on explaining it: the speed, how he knew what Charlie had in mind, the warehouse scene, and even his ability to drive without the speed limit and the oh-so important concept that _you have to look at the road while driving!_

Then it dawned on her. (She had had too many things that _dawned on her_ that day.) In a few hours? Edward would be in her room in a few hours? She wasn't even done shaving? She still had to do the actually bathing, and the soaking! "Oh, I must be so feminine…" she stated sarcastically to herself. She finished quickly. She wrapped a towel around herself, brushed her teeth, quickly snatched the knots out of her hair, towel dried it, and combed it out again. She grabbed her toiletry bag and padded across the hall with a tight grip on her towel if Charlie decided to show up and scare her.

She squeezed into her door, so as not to awake Charlie, and turned around to see a dark figure at her window, gazing out at the moon. She quickly screamed and lost grip of her towel. It was Edward who turned around to look at her. A shocked facial expression overcame him and he quickly turned back around as she dropped her towel gathered herself back together.

"I…am..._-_ my deepest…apologies." He tried to smother her with apologies but she only dismissed it.

"How did you get in my house?" She almost exclaimed, but so not to catch the attention of Charlie, unaware of his whereabouts.

"It's not difficult. Just climb the trees…and…"

"But my window was closed!"

"Shhh, Charlie's asleep."

"And how do you know that?" She was almost yelling.

In the blink of an eye, and with a blur, he was in front of her. She was now pressing herself against the wall, about to lost grip of her towel again, and – for lack of a better word – freaked out. "Shhh," he put his finger to her lips, "if you would only get dressed and not reveal yourself to me, and in such a manner," he teased, "I'll be more than happy to explain myself, with no lies. I promise."

"Hey, I didn't _reveal_-" she began, but he cut her off.

"It was a joke, Bella," he said this in an easy tone, calm, and composed. She opened her mouth for further objection but the cut her off again. "Get dressed…"

With that, she made a slight nod and turned to her dresser, grabbing some clothes, and squeezing out her door again. She changed, blush on her cheeks from Edward seeing her naked, wet and naked…dripping wet. It worried her. But she dismissed it, thinking of the things she would ask him.

After dressing, she squeezed back into her room. Edward was still standing in front of the window, still gazing at the moon. "You can have a seat you know," she said as he turned. He could hear her when she came in, she knew that.

"I'll stand for now," he insisted. She plopped down on her bed and looked up at him, waiting for him to speak. "I assume you have questions…"

"Yes," she answered. "First of all: what did you see?"

He knew exactly what she was talking about because he paused to take consideration in choosing his words. His expression became puzzled and he finally spoke. "I was sure you'd ask that." He began. He looked back out the window and too the moon, the full moon. "To put it lightly…everything."

Her heart stopped beating for a minute. He saw…_everything_, and that was putting it _lightly_? "Lightly?" she asked, astonished, worried.

"Jasper's ability to feel people's emotion wasn't supposed to enable him to see what you saw. But he explained to us that you're emotion was so powerful that in order for him to feel it – which is impossible to prevent – he was sucked into your…"

"…dream state," she finished.

"Yes," he complied. He still was not looking at her, yet she couldn't take her eyes away from him. "And with my ability to read minds…"

"Read minds?" she remarked. "You can…"

"Don't worry, I can't read you." he stopped her, trying to finish his explanation. "I'll explain it.

"But with my ability to read minds and Jasper was pulled into your dream state, he saw everything in your mind, and with that, so did I." He looked to Bella. "You should have heard Jasper's speech, telling me I needn't break anything." He smiled.

"What do you mean?" He approached her, sitting on the bed with her, and looked her in the eyes as she sat there, staring into his. "The naked feeling…" she thought.

"When I saw you, scared, crying, bloody, your clothes torn, I couldn't stand it." His hand found her cheek. "I've grown to care deeply for you, and I still need to know more about you." His expression was sincere. "And…when I saw you, running away from him, you're clothes torn, your undergarments showing, it was clear what he had planned for you." His eyes closed, yet his anger was very readable. "To think…that someone would do that, and they would do it to you, it killed me. It makes me want to hunt him down…"

"I already had that in mind…" Bella mused, of admiration for Edward in her eyes and the smile.

"I saw him plunge the blade into your stomach and I saw him drag you…" he stopped, his eyes showed how much pain he was in, how much pain he was in now and when he witnessed her dream state.

"You don't have to finish…"

"And I saw him as he threw you against the wall, as you fought him, trying to get away." She didn't remember this. It must have been when she woke up. "And I saw him tear your shirt…"

"I…" she held her hand up, looking away, her eyes closed, begging him to stop, and "…don't need to know more…" He was confused. "That was about the time I woke up." She explained. He still looked confused.

"I don't dream anymore, Bella, please explain."

"With dreams, the ends are very vague. We don't exactly remember what happens when we wake up."

"But what about nightmares?" he asked.

"If I dreamt all of my nightmares, then I don't think I'd be sane." She explained. "Think of it," she insisted, "what it would be like to see what happens after you wake up. You think it's the worse when you wake up…" she paused, "but it's not." Bella only knew this because when ever she dreamt, just dreamt, her nightmares would end, but they would pick up where they left off the very next time she closed her eyes. Her nightmares were dangerous. She'd wake up crying, screaming, and scratches on her arms, almost bleeding. It worried her mother – when her mother wasn't bothering with Phil – but other than that, Nate and Jude made a big deal out of it, as did Mickey.

So she was lying. But it was the only way to explain and not to get off subject.

"It was…inhumane, what he was doing." Edward didn't seem to notice her moment of silence, so he continued. "Did you…remember…any of that?" He looked down to her, the moon reflecting on his white skin; his were eyes dark with sympathy, sincerity, and compassion.

"No," she answered truthfully. "I would dream it…" and she stopped. She didn't want to call herself a liar by finishing. "And that's it. I wouldn't dream enough to realize what it was. I could tell it was something from that night, but not memories. I never thought they were memories." Her voice broke. "I prayed they weren't."

In the blink of an eye, not even that much, Edward was bending down, his arm supporting himself on the bed, his feet on the ground, and his free hand on Bella's cheek. "I will protect you." He spoke these words softly, but louder than Bella could ever hear. They echoed in her ears, over and over. As he said them a jolt in her stomach tried to push her forward. She desperately wanted to kiss him then. The matter of him being in front of her with no effort at all, and in no time – literally – seemed to be bypassed by her. His eyes found her soul, making her feel naked and unprotected _from him_. It was as if he could read her mind –

"What are you?" she whispered, unbelieving.

He seemed hurt, a little offended, but mostly heart broken. "What makes you say that?"

"I've begun not to expect anything from you," her own expression was sincere and serious now, "because you seem to exceed all of my expectations."

A crooked smile crossed across his face. "I do owe you an explanation." He admitted. He sat beside her on the bed, his smile now leaving his lips.

"You do…" she agreed.

"Bella, I've involved you." He informed.

"No offense," she interrupted, "but you involved yourself into my own affairs. Not the other way around."

"What-"

"You pulled me into the broom closet. You're the one that pulled my secret out of me. You wanted to protect me. You're the one who took me to your family. I've come to the conclusion that you all are not an ordinary family. But I am no ordinary girl." His eyes were so solemn, and so thankful that she understood, or at least tried to. "We're in the same boat apparently."

"And what makes you say that, Isabella Swan…"

The answer was simple and she readied herself with an answer before he even answered the question. It echoed in her mind, her eyes smiling at him. She needn't bother to smile, for they were looking strictly into the other's eyes. "Because you wouldn't be looking at me like that…"

His eyes fell. He broke. She could tell. He looked back up to her. "We are monsters…" she tried to interrupt, but he held his hand up to signal her to stop. His eyes found her soul and stripped her. "We are monsters. We've found a way to improvise, so not to kill. We are deadly to _every_ human and are invincible to everything except ourselves. The oldest of our kind live years like days and the most evil and bloodthirsty devour bodies like blood bags. And the kindest…" he seemed to trail off thought, the memory or acknowledgment of someone else at mind, "of us seem to be the worst of all.

"We kill humans. But when I saw you, I couldn't read you. I couldn't see how…I just couldn't break into your thoughts. You are so different. Alice cannot see your future and Jasper cannot feel your emotions unless you are in a dream state. You are immune to us all… I cannot stand it. I feel so helpless…so human."

Bella was speechless at first, but then just plain confused. "What do you-?"

"Bella…" he said softly, his hand finding her cheek, "I am a vampire…"


	8. Chapter Seven

Branded: Chapter Seven

"What?" SHE ASKED DISBELIEVINGLY. The concept seemed rather difficult to grasp. A vampire? Were vampires real? Her face dropped and her mind blanked. "A vampire?" It hit her quite hard. The thought of Edward jumping up in a long cape and fangs, his hair slicked back and hiding his face with his cape, the thought launched into her mind. This caused her to laugh. She let out a giggle.

"What?" He apparently knew she would take him seriously, though it was a rather ridiculous … statement.

"I'm so sorry, Edward," she laughed, hiding her teeth with her hands, "but just the thought of you…" she broke off, in laughter… "It's so cliché…"

Then he must have realized what she meant, for he let out a small laugh of his own. She fell onto her bed, her chest shaking violently from laughter. "I'm so very, very sorry," she apologized. She sat up, teary-eyed. "I do believe you, well, in a way. I'm not laughing at you." She tried to explain, but she thought she was doing a terrible job once his brows furrowed. She hid her smile and wiped away her tears and looked away from his gaze. "Just the visual…" she looked to him, as if he were staring at her disappointingly. "I'm sorry, Edward, but I'm only a teenage girl after all."

"That you are…" he agreed. He wasn't disappointed, he was becoming serious.

He neared her, both of them now on the bed and both upright. He seemed to linger very closely in her presence. "And apparently…" she tried to get out, but his closeness caused any coherent thought she held to vanish, "you're a…" his lips seemed to near an incredible amount considering the amount of time he let her stutter… "a…" But his lips crashed into hers, seriousness and sincerity in his lips, a message to her. Her back straightened to get a better angle of his lips, and her hand found his cheek just the moment before his fingers found her waist. Their chests soon touched, she being higher than he, kissing down on him as she tried to resist the temptation to swing her leg over his waist to straddle him.

At that moment she realized, not coherently and not in complete thoughts, but she realized how much she was attracted to the man under her lips. His bronze hair and how she could easily mold her fingers into the locks, angling his neck so that she could get just the right access to her lips. His arms were strong and solid, the way they pulled her to him and kept her in place easily, keeping her from slipping from him. And his muscles were obviously toned considering the awkward position he held them in, she pinned to his chest, her lips angled above his; she was practically on her knees as he was on his rear.

But his physical features were not all. His audible features as well. The way his voice sounded when serious was enough to either make her take him seriously, or if the aura was right it would make her take him as the sexiest being on this earth, which she already found him, and have herself jump him then and there. His voice could have the sincere and caring tone which she believed. And then there was when he made no sound at all. He was so indefinably sneaky. He could walk in on her while she stood in a room so quiet you could hear a pin drop and he would still become successful in startling her.

But what really got her was his emotion. Only a moment ago, he related himself to a monster. No, he called himself a monster. He was no monster. A monster would not care for her the way he did. He could have just ignore her and have nothing to do with her; let her brands do what they do and just leave her be. What ever happened would happen and he may have not been affected by it. But he became involved. And then there was the little fact that he was kissing her…_passionately_. Their lips molded together so perfectly, she wondered if he were an immortal vampire, how many women he was able to perfect his kissing on.

His hands rose on her lower back as her fingers tightened in his hair. But the responsible Bella rang in the back of her head. She still had matters to attend to. She was branded and she was kissing a vampire, who she believed to be a vampire simply because she trusted him. She would not make herself out to be a fool in front of one she cared for and one who cared for her. She pulled back, looking him into the eyes. She didn't expect for his eyes to be black, but that was what she received. She wasn't scared. It took a lot more than unique irises to scare her. She had been scared to a high extent ever since her brands and something would have to pass that level for her to be frightened. She was more confused than scared.

She was about to speak when he closed his eyes and brought his thumb and forefinger to the bridge of his nose as she climbed off of him. His hand slid across her body. It was as if she were to grow further from his touch it would be the worst of him. His fingers eventually ended on her forearm, needing her touch. His eyes returned to hers and she tried to speak. "No," he said simply, "I need to show you something."

((xxx))

"Are you sleepy?" He asked as he lifted her off of his back and set her onto the grass.

"No," she denied, "kissing vampires doesn't necessarily cause a drowsy effect."

He didn't laugh at her attempted humor. He only said, "So you believe me." He was smiling crookedly as he turned to look at her.

She wore a smile herself. He had just run her over several miles of forest in less than thirty seconds. It explained his agility and how he was so quick and so quiet. She looked into his eyes, adopting her own seriousness and dropping her smile. "I should be saying that."

He merely ignored her modesty and silently grazed his lips over hers. "I wouldn't say that," he finally responded, and she allowed herself to breathe again.

She found her sense again and looked away, taking in their surroundings, advancing a few steps. "Where are we?" She asked.

The moon was full and beautiful. It cast a light among the grass and enabled them to see. "I've crossed this a few times. I've come to find something close to peace here." He approached her and placed a hand on the small of her back. "A meadow that I've come to like quite a bit. I've only been here a couple of times though."

She was speechless: partly because of the beautiful sight before her and the other reason was the hand on the small of her back. "Is this what you wanted to show me?" She asked, turning around to look at him.

"No," he answered. "Well, yes, but I wanted us to be completely alone." His eyes turned deep. He stripped her again, leaving her soul for his critical eye. His hand found her cheek again. If he kissed her again, her knees would probably give out this time. But perhaps he would catch her. "I wanted to tell you…" he looked for the right words, possibly so as not to implicate the irrelevant. "I wanted to explain. But I'm not the only one who needs to explain."

At first, when he began, a warm cared-for feeling filled her stomach. But as the conversation turned back to her, where it had been for the past week almost, the feeling turned sour again. "No, no…" she said. "You first." She insisted. "We've been worrying about me since we met. I'd like for you to explain your secrets now, just like I've explained mine." Her voice was clear, not a rude or even aggravated tone. It was more like an insisting tone.

"I plan to, Bella." He was assuring her now. "This is why I brought you here. It would be more convenient. Yes, you may have to skip school tomorrow, but we'll worry about that in the morning." She smiled, glad that he hadn't forgotten of their schoolwork. "I will tell you everything. I will tell you anything you wish to hear. But you must first promise me something in return." His eyes grew serious, but this time, with a hint of something that bore into her even deeper.

"Anything." She promised, and maybe she was promising more than her word, but her heart as well.

He stroked her cheek with the back of his fingers and bored into her eyes. "I need you to tell me everything as well."

This was bad.

"Everything?" She asked.

"Everything," he confirmed.

She couldn't tell him _everything_. _Everything_ was bad. She had just escaped _everything_ by moving to Forks. "But.." she stuttered.

His finger found her lips. "Bella, you can tell me anything. I need to know. I need to understand." Understand? Did he not understand her enough as it was? But could she deny him?

"What are you?" she sighed, letting her head slip down into his palm.

"Would you understand if I said I'm only human?"

"Hmph," she smiled. "Explain to me, then."

"Sit with me."

They both fell to the ground. She was okay with settling sitting up while he lay on the grass, but she felt his strong grip pull her into his chest. She noticed that he was unnaturally cold. He was almost freezing, but surprisingly, she wasn't cold. She had noticed after she had received her brands that she, herself, wasn't the same as she had been in more ways than just personality. Her usual temperature dropped a reasonably low amount, but her mother never noticed. Planning weddings was hard work apparently. While usually people carried a nice ninety-eight degrees, Bella sported a rather unusual eighty or, in cold places, seventy-five at the least. So this wasn't a very drastic change.

Her temperature only supported her theories of not being human, or something like human, with her brands. She must have been changed or her body structure could have been alternated, though, she was sure her body structure was alternated. With her physical changes such as her body and her stamina made her advanced defensive training much easier.

"What are you thinking?"

She looked up passed the expanse of his chest and looked up to Edward. He was staring down at her. "Oh, I forgot; you can't read me."

"No," he agreed, almost reluctantly, "I can't."

"Why is that?" She asked.

"Well, Jasper can only feel your emotion when you're in a dream state so far, and Alice cannot see your future. It bothered us which is one of the reasons I asked you about your marks."

"Brands…" she corrected as she looked back down. He looked at her, confused. "I call them brands," she explained. "They sear my skin from time to time. So I call them brands." Her voice was distant. It was a little pleading, yet she made no sign of a plea.

"Fine," he agreed, not affected at all by the correction, "brands." He then continued. "We weren't sure what they meant, but we asked Carlisle about the matter, and he said that the brands sounded familiar."

"Really…?" She stared out and into the trees while he spoke, listening to the rumbling of his chest as he did so.

"So, you seem to be immune to us all. Why, we are not sure. All we know is that…"

"I'm immune to a lot of things." She stated.

"What was that?" He was a little lost at her statement.

"I haven't been sick since I got them. I can't be injured, and when I am…it heals before blood can even surface."

"Odd."

"Yes," she agreed.

"Yes, but it makes sense. Vampires have extreme strength but you seem to counter that." He grasped her hand that lay on his chest and gazed at her brands. "You seem to have very good reflexes as well. The way you handled those men and the way you spotted out Drake with no problem."

"I agree, I have changed a lot since I've gotten my brands. But, the problem is they're not just _physical_ changes. I've changed by personality as well as physical changes.

"What do you mean?" he asked. She could hear the slight confusion in the tone of his voice.

She realized how her hand was now released. She bean to stroke right below the shoulder and continued. "Well, before I got them, I was…supposedly…a normal everyday teenaged girl. Except I was a normal everyday girl that was considered one of the guys, yet not...one of the guys…" she knew she sounded unsure of what she meant, but she let out a small laugh. "Yes I got in trouble from time to time, but when your two best friends are the guys who make all the trouble in school, what can you expect?"

He let out a laugh. "You didn't vandalize school property or steal did you?" she could hear the smile in his voice.

"No, but Jude and Nate did."

"Who?"

"Jude and Nate are the guys I mentioned. They're still back in Arizona, happily paying for their own screw-ups." She felt the mood lighten now that she was talking about the guys. It gave her a happy feeling to mention people who meant so much to her. "We've been friends since the second grade. But as we got older," she broke into a smile, "they became more and more rebellious." She let out a small scoff. "They got detention over and over. They're such idiots. I took up for them several times. I never even caused any of the trouble; I just took the heat for it."

"Why?"

"Because their school records were screwed up as it was and no one would believe I did it anyway."

"You never did, though, did you?"

"No, I never deserved my punishment until the brands took over, but that's not the point." She caught herself just in time. She was about to start on a new subject to distract his curiosity. But he caught her just as well as she caught herself.

"No, please, go on…" his tone was insisting. Interested. He wanted to know.

"It's okay…" she tried to make this sound like it was nothing. She just didn't want to reveal how drastic the brands affects could really be.

"Bella…" she felt his fingers on her chin. He lifted her eyes to look into his own. "I want to know…"

"It's really nothing, but…" she was terrible at attempting intentional modesty," after I got the brands, I changed personality-wise, like I said. At first, with my mother not believing me, I went into a depressed state. I never spoke and I never fought. But one day…I was angry. I became so furious…"

"What happened?" his voice was concerned.

"What my mother told parents of what I supposedly did – which I didn't - it eventually got around the entire school. Certain rumors started. At first I didn't care, but the brands…they sent… They made me feel angry for no reason and it multiplied it anger I already felt - tenfold. It was…" She trailed off. She didn't know what happened at the time, herself. How would she know now? "I was angry that day."

"Bella," he asked, almost in a final tone, "what happened?"

"I broke her face in." That was all she said. Simple and clear. She didn't even stutter.

"Excuse me?" It was a laugh! He was laughing!

"That's what they do." She went on. "They change your personality. I became angry and cold after that. I didn't even associate with people if I haven't met them _before_ I got the brands. _Melissa _came up to _me _- well, technically, almost got us detention – but I didn't put any effort into it until she did. I'm not social anymore at all. You had to interact with me didn't you?"

"Yes, but what made you want to _break her face in_?" It sounded only a little comical, but seriousness lingered as well…somewhere in his tone.

"Someone just mentioned a rumor, and I went off. I did more than punch her." She wondered what Edward thought about her, now that he knew of her violent side caused by the brands.

"Bella…" he sighed.

"I almost got expelled, but I was already withdrawing; they just left the punishment to my mother."

"Is that why you're in Forks?"

It was, she thought. To "escape."

"Yes," she answered shortly. "It is. My mother said I became so violent from all the stress. So she decided I needed _an escape_. That's how I got here. The principal here gave me a talk too…"

"Really, I don't' remember his thoughts-" He stopped.

She then remembered that he had some explaining to do as well. "That's right…" she mused. "The vampire thing."

"He sat up, causing her to do the same. "I just love what you refer to it as. _The Vampire Thing_."

"Well, what do you want me to call it…?" She smiled.

"That's fine."

"Hmph." She got comfortable in a sitting position so she could see his face directly.

He laughed again. "What do you want to know?"

This was it. All of her questions would be answered. She was finally able to relieve this _Dark and Mysterious _of his mysteries. "Well, you're a vampire, so, I guess I'll ask what anyone would ask a vampire." She let out a nervous and embarrassed laugh. "How old are you?" Her head tilted to the side slightly, showing her interest in the question.

He smiled as if he knew she was going to ask that. It was quite predictable. "I was born in 1901. In 1918, I almost died of the Spanish Influenza."

"Almost?" she replied, confused.

"Carlisle was the doctor of my mother. Supposedly, my mother asked Carlisle to change me…"

"_Supposedly_?" Did he find Carlisle, or someone unmentioned, untrustworthy? Why would he choose those specific words?

"Do not mistake me, Bella." He held his hands up defensively. "I do trust Carlisle. Like a father. What I mean is that I was not exactly conscious at the time. I was dying, Bella. I don't even remember my human memories. I only remember directly after my change, and what Carlisle has told me from when he doctored my mother and me."

"What do you know?" Her voice was soft, and her hair to begin blowing in the wind lightly, framing her face.

"I was born Edward Anthony Mason Jr. My father was Sr. My father had already died from the Spanish Influenza when my mother spoke with Carlisle. She died before I was turned."

"I'm so sorry." She didn't know what to say. It was sad, but there were so many sad things going on in her own life that she was used to the concept. And Edward seemed like he had gotten over it. Yet, she still took him seriously. The moment was quiet.

"So what kind of awesome abilities do vampires have?" It was the only thing she could come up with to say that would lighten up the mood, and her tone showed it. He understood.

"Bella," his hand stroked her cheek with his thumb, "you don't have to take any consideration for me when it comes to my past. I've learned to cope with myself. Even if I don't like the idea, I've come to live with it. As much as I've hated it at times, I've dealt with the thought of eternity."

"Edward, what do you mean?" She was catching on; she just needed to hear it from him.

"Being a vampire means immortality. My brothers and sisters have found mates to spend it with. For all theses years…decades, I thought I was content with the thought of spending it alone. Don't feel sorry for me. I've coped already. I'm fine."

Now this…this was just heart wrenching. The thought of having to spend eternity by yourself, watching your siblings happy with their companion would be terrible. Why was he spending it alone? "Why alone?" She asked him, sinking deeper into his palm. "Why didn't you want to find…a

_mate_?"

"No one has ever sparked m interest." His voice expressed truthful emotion. But how come no one ever _sparked _his interest? But wasn't he here with her? Was she anything to him like she hoped she was? Could anyone stand to be alone for so long? She closed her eyes, facing into his palm.

"But I'm here." She knew that she was taking a risk, offering up her heart to a god to accept or throw in her face – after tearing it apart. "I'm not just some extra curricular activity or project, am I?" Her eyes were open now, facing toward him. She was gazing into his eyes as she remained buried into his palm, not letting go for dear life.

He stroked her cheek with his thumb. "No…"

It warmed her to hear this. She was now aware that he did _in fact_ care for her. Hopefully her damn pride and independence wouldn't ruin that. His eyes were not its beautiful shade of topaz, but they were dark now. Blacker than coal. "Bella," he sighed, "I warn you now." What did he mean? _Warn?_ "I am not some sinless being. I carry much sin on my shoulders, despite my altercations of being a vampire." She slowly took his hand from her cheek and held it in her hand. "You've come to Forks to escape the monsters that haunt you. But one sits before you now…"

"What do you consider a monster, Edward?" She didn't know if he was truly convinced that he was a monster. She knew he wasn't, for she had figured it out already.

"Me. Something who hungers for the wrong things, yearning for something lingering in front of you and all you can do is plan tactics in your head to attain it in the least sinful way. A murderer even. I've done things, Bella, and even if I've tried to cope with those things by trying to make up for them – I am what I am. I cannot change it. I eat humans. What you are."

She became distant for a moment. Human. Living person. Keyword: _living._ Bella wasn't sure if she was alive. Yes she had a heart beat, and yes, she had a pulse. But she saw the visions sent to her by drake. So called dreams. If they're not dreams or altercations of that night – what Drake wants her to see – then…they're _memories_. She, at times, would convince herself that she was dead. That she wasn't alive. Somehow, she kept going by the brands. They were evil – she knew that. (And Mia, who she needed to look for, could help her with that. All she had to do was find her.)

"Then why are you helping me?" she continued. She needed to remember that Edward was right in front of her. She couldn't lock everything away while with him. She couldn't lock of Edward _at all. _And by asking the questing she was asking, maybe she could convince him he wasn't a monster. "Tell me."

"I don't know what drew me to you, exactly. But I do know that it had to do with your brands and your ability." He was now looking away up at the moon. "You weren't supposed-" His phone rang. He picked it out of his pocket and began speaking. When he was done he shut it and looked to her. "I need to get you home. Alice says the Charlie will be awake in twenty minutes and will check on you."

"The future telling thing," she asked for confirmation.

He nodded. "Let's go."


	9. Chapter Eight

Branded: Chapter Eight

She sat on her bed, her knees to her chest. The morning sun shined through the window. She took a look at her clock to see that it was just a little passed five, the time she usually began getting ready. She closed her eyes like she did every morning; trying to forget the dreams she has the night before. It was just as vivid as in the dream state, but she only repeated what she had already seen during the dream state. As she opened her eyes, she got up. She showered and she dressed.

She thought of the night before when she was with Edward. He drove her home and, of course, he didn't miss the chance to kiss her again. She found her way upstairs and had nightmares the entire night. She didn't get much sleep considering she got back at two in the morning. English would make a good class for napping. But once she got down stairs her father forbade her from leaving the house.

"Why?" She asked confused.

"Dr. Cullen called and wanted you to stay home today." Her dad replied. "That maybe you should rest after fainting. He wants to see if you experience any headaches or hallucinations, so no school or driving until he gives the okay."

She have could married Dr. Cullen then. "Okay, dad, whatever you and Dr. Cullen say…" She knew how fake she sounded. She slumped back up stairs and fell onto the bed.

First, she fell asleep, but only for an hour. She woke up feeling refreshed, though. She went down stairs, gorged on fries, and then returned upstairs. Once she found herself dancing to Paramore in her underwear, she was sure that she was going insane. While just acting like a complete, naked idiot, she composed herself. She had only gone to Forks High for three days at the most. She couldn't be tired of school already. But with discovering the guy she was completely crazy for was a vampire and with experiencing those horrid dreams, she decided that she deserved a mental break.

She fell on her bed again, turning down the stereo with her remote, she took a mental note to have her mom send all of her book cases to her dad's. But as she found herself on the verge of sleep, her cell phone rang. She grabbed the lime green device and checked the caller ID. Happily, she answered it, knowing it was Melissa.

"Hello?"

"B.?" She replied in a groan. She seemed a little out of her usual cocky mood.

"Yeah, Melissa? What's wrong?" Bella became a little worried.

"Yeah, um…I really don't know." She sounded almost, drunk.

"Well, you see, I…uh…kinda…got carried away last night…" she laughed. "Ow, that hurt."

"What?" Bella was seriously confused now.

"My head, it hurts to talk!" She laughed again. "Ow…"

"Melissa, you aren't drunk." She hoped what she said was true.

"I am not…wha!"

Bella heard a drop of the phone. She rolled her eyes and waited.

"Look, Bellsy, I'm sorry, but if my parents find me drunk, I'm gonna die. And my sibs are sure to tell on me."

"_Sibs_?"

"Siblings, Bella, Godsh…" She was truly wasted.

"Where are you?" Bella demanded.

"At The Pull. I got a ride here. I just need…you to uh…um...what's that thing called?"

Bella rolled her eyes. "Give the phone to the barkeep." Thankfully Melissa was able to comprehend that better than her own thoughts. "Don't let her leave. Keep her there; I'll be there in a minute." The Barkeep gave her the okay and Bella dressed again.

She got in her truck, her cell phone in her hoodie pocket. She drove rather slowly, not bothering to hurry for Melissa. How did she get all the way in Seattle? Though, it's not like you have anywhere to get drunk in Forks anyway. But once she did get to The Pull, she saw Melissa passed out on one of the sofas in the back. "Oh my goodness…" Bella said to herself.

She got Melissa into the truck with the barkeeper's help.

She was on her way home with Melissa safely drinking tea in the passenger's seat when her cell phone rang. She pulled over and picked her cell phone out of her pocket. "Where are you?" a rather angry voice sounded.

"Um, Edward?" She asked, the voice sounding familiar.

"Bella, I thought I told you to stay close to us at all times. No, I know I did. Where are you?!"

"Edward, calm down." She eased. "I'm picking up Melissa from The Pull."

"In Seattle!"

"Yes, Edward. The Pull is conveniently located in Seattle where all of the sexual predators and criminals seem to cultivate. I think I'll be fine though, because I've been marked by a demon guy and have been cursed with unexplainable abilities!" She didn't like being yelled at. And her independence kept her from being baby-sat. She hated the thought of having to keep checking in with people.

"Yes, abilities that you cannot control, may I add for you."

"Edward. I'm on my way home, now. Calm down. I'll be there." She was getting frustrated already, and had half the mind to hang up on him.

"Be careful. Carlisle wants to see you and I think it would be most appropriate that you do it in one piece." He had frustration in his voice and she could just picture him in her front yard, pinching the bridge of his nose in between his thumb and forefinger.

"I'll be fine, Edward," she laughed at him. "I'll see you in half an hour."

"I'll see you."

So now he was freaking out over her driving. Goodness, was she that bad of a driver, too? She smiled to herself.

"Oh, so you're best buds with Mr. Cullen Guy, now?" Bella turned to see Melissa staring at her through slit eyes.

"Yeah, I guess. He gave me a ride somewhere yesterday and I blacked out. His dad's kind of my doctor at the moment." She felt a sneer creep up her lips.

"Really…" Melissa sneered.

"Go to sleep M."

((xxx))

She saw Edward in her front yard, his Volvo in the Cruiser's place. Bella pulled up in her own place and quickly unbuckled Melissa. She rounded the truck, trying to avoid Edward as he barged toward her. "I'd appreciate if you'd comply with my requests, Bella."

"Well, I'd appreciate not being treated like a child, Edward." She wasn't exactly in a smiley mood, so she only focused getting Melissa out of the truck. Edward motioned toward her to help, but Bella refused him. "I can handle this Edward. Brands are good for more than just freak shows." She knew that she sounded nasty at the moment, but he hit her where it hurt the most: the ego. She was independent and also egotistical. She knew she could handle anything that came her way. She had made it this far through this traumatic experience without help. She didn't need any now. _I can handle a wasted friend,_ she thought.

She had one of Melissa's arms draped over her shoulder and was dragging her rather easily to the house. With the brands, one of the physical characteristics that changed was strength, which was how Bella was able to react to Edward in the broom closet, and Alice at The Pull. Vampires are supposed to be so fast and so strong. But Bella matched with them adequately and possibly even more so. So carrying Melissa was no problem. Her strength wasn't phenomenal. It was only active when her brands were active, so her brands seared as she drug Melissa on.

"Now, what is it that Carlisle wants to talk about?" Bella asked once Melissa was upstairs in Bella's bed. She grabbed cold pizza from the night before that Charlie must have had and put it on a plate. "Cold pizza always helped Jude and Nate with their hangovers…" she mused to herself.

"So you helped them when they got wasted, as well, I see." She turned to see Edward staring at her in disgust.

"You can't eat human food, can you?" Her facial expression held interest, as did her voice.

"We can; we just have to vomit it back up." He turned his head, as if the smell was just too much.

"I'll go take this upstairs then."

When she returned she saw Edward at the door with her hoodie. "We need to go, now." He stated.

"Um, I can't just leave Melissa here!"

"She'll be fine," Edward replied coolly. "Alice will tell us if anything happens to her." Bella glanced to the staircase reluctantly. "Bella…" he sighed, placing a finger on her chin to pull her eyes to face him. "She will be fine. She's not even thinking right now." She let out a worried sigh and grabbed her hoodie from him, but he only helped her put it on. "Now, shall we go?"

((xxx))

Edward insisted that he drive, which meant if Bella had to cut out for whatever reason, she was stuck with him, not that that was a bad thing. She was just sure that she would prefer to be able to leave when she pleased. She stepped out of the Volvo when Edward had stopped in front of the house. This was the first time Bella had seen the Cullen's house. When she had first arrived, she was unconscious and most likely too much in a hurry to get home when it was time to leave. Both times, the opportunity to take in her surroundings evaded her. But she observed them now. The house was large, white, and looked quite expensive. It was beautiful, but she, at the time, just wanted to get whatever Dr. Cullen had to say with her over with so she could get back to Melissa.

The house was quite large, at least three stories. The outside landscape was beautiful, though, with as much rain fell as it did in Forks, Bella found it impossible for trying to keep a green lawn difficult. The lawn was green though, very much so. The bushes were trimmed and the stone walkway leading from the garage to the front door was intricately designed. It reminded her of her brands.

She followed Edward as he led her to the front door. She would expect herself to be nervous but she wasn't. And before her mind could comprehend why, she felt something hit her, hard. Reality hit her - no a vampire - just like this inanimate object – and she realized that it was Alice.

"Oh my goodness, I was beginning to think you weren't gonna show!"

_Who is this chick!_ Bella thought. She knew exactly who it was, but how did she and Alice had any relation to where hugging would become necessary? "Um…" She began. "What?"

"The seeing the future thing, Bella." Edward stated.

"I know that, but why is she hugging me!" She yelled, hardly able to breath.

"Oh, I'm sorry," Alice quickly let go of Bella, standing straight beside her. But she looked as if she couldn't hold it in and then returned to her death hold on Bella.

"Alice!" Edward laughed. "She doesn't like to be touched…" Edward approached them both and pulled them off of each other. Bella had a look of relief as she tried to catch her breath. Alice only glared at Edward.

"Can't I be excited that I _can_ see her future _after all_?" She complained.

"No, if it involves breaking her ribs…" he retorted. He turned to Bella who was wide eyed and had her arms spread, as if bracing on air for balance. "Are you alright?" He asked her. Still wide eyed, she shook her head. He noticed that she wasn't breathing. "Bella, breathe." He ordered.

"Oh my God, Alice, you killed her!" Bella jumped at the booming voice. She looked beside her to see the big one, Emmet, coming up beside her. He gave her a hard pat on the back and she almost flipped over.

"Okay!" she declared, her breathing now being difficult. "No one move!" She heard several footsteps come to an abrupt start. She turned to see Jasper and Dr. Cullen in the doorway. "Alright…" she took a deep breath. "Edward's right; I don't like to be touched. So don't try to murder me with hugs…" she looked at Alice, wryly. "And if I had felt threatened at the moment you scared me," she turned to Emmet, "I would have most likely kicked you in the face!" Her breath was evening out now. Emmet let out a booming laughter.

"She's serious, Em," Edward voiced. "She could seriously take you on if she wanted to."

His laughter died out as Dr. Cullen approached her, hand outstretched. "I believe we got off on a rough start last night. My apologies if we scared you, but you see Edward wasn't aware of what had happened. So he brought you to me." He explained what she already knew, but she wasn't complaining.

"I don't hold anything against Edward for it," she explained. "I was taken by surprise, but I'm not angry."

"How is your head?" He raised his hand to examine her left temple, brushing hair away as he did.

"No hallucinations, no headaches."

"I see Chief Swan passed on my message…" he mused.

She nodded. "And what's with the no driving?" She asked, playfully offended.

"Let us go upstairs and discuss this, shall we?" He turned and began to lead her into the house. Edward was quickly at her heels. "Alice, try not to kill anymore guests, alright?" he called over his shoulder.

He led them up two floors and into a room that was apparently a study. There were bookcases covering the walls. Her room looked like this back in Arizona, and once again she remembered to call her mother for her bookcases. "Damn," she whispered to herself. She could have called her mother and asked for her to send them over.

"What was that?" Dr. Cullen asked, as if he missed something as he pulled his chair out from under his desk and sat.

"Nothing," she replied, defeated by her own forgetfulness.

"Please," he gestured toward the two chairs in front of his desk, "sit."

She did, as did Edward.

"If you don't want me to be here…" Edward whispered to her.

She quickly shook her head. "You might as well figure everything out already. I'm not gonna hold it off."

"Now, Bella, could you explain what exactly those marks are."

"Well, according to my readings and what a friend of mine said, they're the markings of a being that holds a lot of power. They call him Drake. The marks…ever since I got them a year ago, unexplainable events have happened."

"Like what?" He sounded more professional than interested.

"Well, for one, I can do this." She turned to the stack of papers on Dr. Cullen's desk and gestured towards them. When she placed her hand back into her lap, the marks were green.

Both Edward and Dr. Cullen's eyes lit up. "Oh, well…that's…interesting."

"There's more." She continued. She looked at that plant that lay on the end of his desk. She gestured toward it, and as she was done, the plant began to slowly decay, it's green leaves turning brown. She noticed Edward gulp.

"That is interesting." Edward agreed. Since she wasn't done yes, she repeated her gesture and this time, the plant brought itself back to life, it's wilted steams standing upright again.

"Well…" Dr. Cullen adjusted in his seat. "Bella, could you tell me exactly how you got these marks?"

"Brands," Edward corrected.

Bella shot a thankful look at Edward and answered Dr. Cullen rather eagerly. "Quite frankly, I don't know. I haven't a clue of how I came to get these brands. I remember being dragged into an alley, I remember waking up, and I remember my dreams. I've come to the conclusion that my dream state makes me relive my memories. But oth-"

"When you were passed out, and when Jasper saw the visuals you were experiencing?" He asked.

She nodded. "Yes. If I compare those images to my own dreams, it makes me think that I'm reliving that night. That they're not dreams, but memories." She realized that she had zoned out, had become distant within her own words. She looked back to Dr. Cullen who looked engrossed in her words.

"So you don't know how you got them?"

"No, I don't. But I know how I got them from."

He stiffened. "I was…trying to find some books on my brands one day, in Seattle, and I came across this shop. There was this woman. She knew all about my brands. Apparently there are others that are branded, like me. But the one who branded me goes by Drake."

"The man you saw at the warehouse." Now Dr. Cullen was catching on. She nodded. "He…torments me in my dreams, and he knows where I live and he-"

"Wait," Dr. Cullen stopped her. "Did you say he knows where you live?"

"He knows here cell phone number, too." Edward interrupted. "The school. Her mother's house. He basically follows her."

Bella glanced at Edward, not really betrayed but relieved he stated the answer for her.

"Bella, you know now we're going to have to take extra precautions."

Why were they helping her? She knew why Edward was helping her. She guessed they were helping her because he cared. But she thought she could handle it. She didn't need anyone's help. She fought through it all alone. She's encountered something worse than physical damages: she's faced mental damages. She could handle this alone.

She nodded, even though her independence forbade it.

"You need to stay near one of us at all times."

She began to nod, especially at the fact that this was exactly what Edward said. But her wrists began to sear. She hissed as she brought her wrists to her chest and enveloped them in her palm. Dr. Cullen got up, rounding the desk.

"Do they do this all the time?" He asked.

"Not all the time," she answered modestly through clenched teeth. "Mostly when I'm talking about them, or thinking about them. Even when I'm using them, they burn."

"Did they just now?" He asked.

She shook her head.

"Then they're being controlled," Edward concluded aloud.

Dr. Cullen examined her wrist. "It doesn't look like it's burning," he mused to himself.

"It is…" she countered, hissing deeply now.

"What helps?" He asked.

She turned and reached into her hoodie pocket and pulled out a little salt packet she kept from The Pull that night with Melissa. She ripped it open with her teeth, and poured the packet's contents all onto one wrist and then began to massage them together. "Salt," she stated simply.

"Hmph."

"I know, awkward, ri-" Her cell phone rang. Her wrists didn't sear anymore. She took her cell phone out of her hoodie pocket and got up to step out of the room. She stood on the outside of Dr. Cullen's study's door. "Hello?"

"_Don't die…" _

She turned automatically to the door and slammed Dr. Cullen's door open. "It's Drake!" She exclaimed.


	10. Chapter Nine

Branded: Chapter Nine

SHE HADN'T YELLED IT, BUT SHE HAD MOUTHED THE WORDS IN A HURRIED MANNER.

"Now, now Bella," Drakes deep, melancholy voice chimed. "We wouldn't want to bring anyone unwelcome into the conversation, now would we?"

"What do you want?" She ordered.

She looked up to see Alice in front of Carlisle whispering something in his ear.

"I want you to put this phone on walky-talky feature considering the entire fucking Cullen family knows!" He had yelled so loud that the Cullen family was able to hear the last part. And they were all in the study by now. Once Bella had done what he asked, he seemed to know. "Now, answer me this…_love._" He had venom in his voice. "Why in _the hell_ did you have to go and tell the Cullens…the one group of people I _begged _you to stay away from!" Her face lit with confusion. "Okay, maybe I didn't. It was more like an 'I'll kill you if you don't' do what I say' kind of thing. But either way, you're still with them aren't you." She glanced up at the Cullens who all had worried expressions on their faces.

"I bet you wondering how I know where you are…" Bella was about to agree, but it was like he already knew what she was thinking and what she was doing. "Well, considering that I'm in your flesh…and that's right, I said _flesh,_ and not_ blood_ – that's your boyfriend's thing, really" She looked up to Edward and then back down to her spot on the carpet "– I know exactly where you are…at _all times._ I can feel you. I can taste you. I can hear you. I can smell you. And considering where I am right now, I can even see you." With that, Mrs. Cullen walked over to the curtains of the study to draw them closed. "Don't bother Esme, my dear…it won't help. It. Just. Won't. Work."

And with that last word, Bella dropped the phone as she collapsed to the ground, her wrists searing worse than they ever had before. She didn't know if it was because Drake was controlling them then, or the fact that she knew he was controlling them, then, and personally. "Oh, come on, Bella…I might as well see you naked I know so much…no…wait…I already did!" He let out his evil, cliché, yet still evil laugh. Her knuckles clenched at the last comment, visions of her form being stripped flashing through her eyes. Edward was behind her and now took the phone from her.

"Oh, now, now, Eddie, let's play nice…" Bella could tell it took all of Edward's will power not to break the phone then and there. But there was a catch to this call, and he knew it.

"What do you want?!" Edward demanded in a yell.

"Well, well, looks like Bella does go for the tough guys after all. Wouldn't you say Bella?"

"Go to hell!" was all she could muster, her voice breaking as she had to take in the pain.

"Well, then, my minutes are running out, so why don't we cut this short. I have Melissa over at the High School…" he sang. Bella looked up, totally forgetting her pain, her attention now focusing on the well being of Melissa. "Now I've got your attention," he chuckled. "You see, Bella, your will power is so strong that you can enable Dear Alice to see your future or you can disable her. As well as with Jasper. That's why whenever you and I meet for a little reunion," he paused for the suspense, "you have no choice but bring Jasper as an uninvited guest."

"What does this have to do with Melissa?!" She ordered.

"Well, love, that's how I was able to kidnap our dear Melissa. As long as you you're your guard up against the Cullens…then you're immune. Alice, dear, can only see your future unless you want her to. So…use what I've told you. The vampires stay. I want you and you alone. You can control them if you want. All you have to do is have the right intentions…and you can do anything… You've got until midnight to get here… Wait until after school and we'll surface from our little…hiding area… Isn't that right Melissa?" His voice faded out and they could all hear muffled cries. "Don't come unprepared…Oh, and this time, Bella, wear something nice." The phone went dead.

Visions from her dream state resurfaced. What if she were too late? Would what became of her become of Melissa? No, she couldn't be too late. But she knew she had to wait it all out. It was almost three and school would be let out in an hour. Drake wanted them at night. It made sense. It would be easier to cause mayhem than in broad daylight.

"What do we do?" Alice voiced.

All the possibilities ran through Bella's head. What sources did she have? And then she remembered. "Edward, I'm gonna need a ride to Seattle." Despite the fact her wrists were still burning while she spoke, she still got up and made her way to the study door.

"For what?" He asked.

"Bella," Dr. Cullen called, "I think you need to stay here."

She was about to go off. She didn't need their help. They would only get in the way. But she calmly turned around. "No offense, Dr. Cullen, but you know nothing of this…thing!" She pointed to the cell phone that lay held in Edward's palm. "I know someone who knows quite a bit." She turned around. "Edward are you coming? I could always call Mia to pick me up herself…"

With her implication of who they might be seeing, he picked up his pace to catch up with her. "Alice, join them," she heard Dr. Cullen order. "And Bella?"

She turned around to see Dr. Cullen standing in the doorway. She raised her eyebrow.

"It's Carlisle."

She smirked and continued on.

"So who exactly are we going to go see?" Edward questioned as he opened the car door for her.

"Mia, in Seattle," she answered simply. "I was looking for some information and found this place. She told me all about these things." She eyed her wrists. Edward was now on the other side of her, in the passenger's seat. "So…" she began.

"Yes?"

"How fast can you get there?"

A crooked smile dominated his face.

((xxx))

She got out of the car, completely ignoring the fact that Edward had driven them there at ridiculous speed, and made her way around the corner and into the alley. He didn't ask where she was going; he simply followed. The door was there. Thank goodness, the door was there. "Yes," she hissed to herself. She pushed passed the beads and into the scented, smoky shop.

"Mia!" She called. "Mia, I need to speak with you!"

"Now, now, child," Mia appeared out from behind a bookcase. She looked toward Bella and then passed her, at Edward. She smiled at the two. "I knew you two would find each other…" she held and all-knowing smirk.

Bella ignored it. Her thoughts were clearly focused on Melissa. What would Drake do to her? The predicament was obviously bad considering Melissa was drunk. Bella automatically blamed herself for letting Melissa alone. And apparently Alice did see Melissa being kidnapped. And it was only because Bella had put her defense back up. She was unsure of the Cullens. They were strangers, and not to mention vampires. She trusted Edward. Although he couldn't read her mind, she still trusted him.

"I need to talk with you…"

"I know," she replied. "Come with me." She looked at Bella. "You stay here," she glanced at Edward, who looked as if he didn't plan on going anywhere in the first place.

Mia led Bella into the same room as before, except it was not full of candles this time. It was decorated as a lounge. There were sofas and tables and tables of books.

"Did you look at that book that I gave you?" She asked, lighting a candle to lighten the heaviness in the aura.

"No, I haven't," Bella replied.

"Good, do not let anyone touch it, or so much as see it." She looked toward the door. "He is okay. But no one else." She meant Edward.

"Why not?" Bella shook her head in confusion.

"That book holds your secrets as a Branded. Every Branded has one. If it is destroyed, you shall die. It is your life force."

Bella was unsure of what this meant. A book? A life source? How could this be? A book? "What do you mean?"

"Well…" she paused to look for words. "Well, every Branded has one. It is what ties us to the earth just like our brands are what tie us to our bodies."

"_Us?_"

Mia stopped lighting candles and turned to Bella. She slowly began to unbutton her blouse. Three buttons down, she stopped. Then, what was revealed was a mark. It wasn't identical to Bella's, but close. Mia's consisted of intricate designs filling out a triangle. "There is a line of Branded. When ever they mark another, their mark is copied and passed on to the one they marked. That mark holds what is left of their soul to their body. Their book, which they also receive, holds them down to the earth. It keeps them from falling mindlessly into the depths of eternity."

"What does that mean?" Bella couldn't help but ask question after question.

"In your book should be information. There should be information on your Brander, and theirs. And there should also be brief entries of encounters they have had."

"So, things about Drake will be in my book?" Bella didn't see why she had bothered asking that question. She had read his entire history so far.

"Bella." Mia stated this clearly as to grab her attention. She placed her hands on Bella's shoulders and spoke firmly. "Find his book. And burn it. All you need to worry about, now, though, is finding Melissa and surviving. I will help you if I can, but you must try to find Melissa and make it out."

"How do I do that? How do I survive if I don't kill him?"

"Bella…" Mia's palms found Bella's cheeks, "do what you weren't able to do the first time. When you first met Drake. When he kidnapped you and he did those things to you." Bella began to really tune in then. How had Mia known? "Escape."

"Wh-"

Before Bella could reply, the mist in the air consumed her and everything went black. When she opened her eyes, she was standing with Edward in the alley way.

"Bella…" Edward asked casually, as if they had never gone into the shop. "Are you ready?"

"What-" But it clicked for her. Bella had never gone in the first time before she had encountered those men. But she had the book and the experience. And now, she had what she knew and Edward. Edward had never gone in and neither had she, but she spoke to Mia. Mia just didn't want to ever finish the conversation. But time had gone by. It was dark now. "No, I don't need to go in," she replied, not continuing her first sentence. "Let's go."

"Bella, it wasn't this dark a few moments ago." Edward caught on quickly.

"No, it wasn't. Let's go." She kept walking, but Edward caught her elbow.

"Bella…" his eyes were worried. "What did you…"

What did he mean? What did_ she_…? She didn't do anything. Bella never used her brands to do anything, but exercise them. She didn't know how to use them other than to manipulate substances. "I didn't do anything!" She said this rather roughly and yanked her elbow from Edward's grasp.

"What just happened?" he called after her.

"I don't know. It's something that Mia does…" she called back. "Let's go Edward. We need to get to the school."

"What do you mean something Mia does?"

She ignored him. They were on their way to the school. She pondered whether she needed to tell him or not. So, she considered it. He didn't know Mia, but she could try, right? "Edward?" She said, catching his attention. It was only a few moments until he spoke.

"Yes?" He sounded a little defensive. It was most likely the after effect of her actions in the alley way.

"I don't know why she does it, Edward. But she's branded, like me." It was simple and he caught on. His eyes widened as he turned to look at her. "Yeah," she agreed with his reaction. "It is weird isn't it?"

"Bella…"

"Yes, I know. I didn't know until a few moments ago." She knew he didn't know what she meant.

He looked at her confused, to confirm her prediction. "You see, the first time in the alley, we spoke, but something happened." Her eyes were deep as she stared out through the windshield, distant from him, deep in her own thought. "It was something that I can't explain now, but I'm sure I will one day." _If we know each other that long,_ she edited. "But she apparently is more powerful than I am. She can manipulate…events…I guess. It was like time relapsed, like…it reversed. But at the same time, it didn't." she turned to look at him. He was staring out of the windshield as well. "Do you understand?" He shook his head. "I know it happened because I have the book she gave-" She suddenly remembered how Mia had told her not to tell anybody. But she could tell Edward, she said. Then again, maybe she didn't want to introduce something to Edward she hadn't realized herself.

"What?"

"Nothing… Do you understand what I meant?"

"A little; you'd expect a man to have a psychic as a sister to understand time relapses."

"Hmph," she noised.

((xxx))

They stood in front of the school. Melissa was in there. It was up to Bella to retrieve her. "Bella…" She felt an arm on her shoulder. "I can go in alone." They were in the parking lot, both on the outside of the passenger side. Edward was leaning on the car.

"No," she answered almost too abruptly. She managed her tone. "I can do it." She looked at him solemnly. "I'd rather you not come."

"Bella, I'm coming." He was firm, as if nothing would convince him that he wouldn't be going into that building. Bella didn't know if that was a good thing, or a bad thing.

"I can't convince you otherwise, can I?" Her eyes were almost hurt. He saw tears almost erupt from them. His palm quickly found her cheek and his lips found hers just as easily – which was rather easy. She found herself drinking him in, like a nerve pill, calming her nerves. He pulled his lips away, resting his forehead on hers for a moment. She breathed, and he gulped, gathering himself for her next words. "I take that as a no…" A nervous smile crept to her lips. He only quickly kissed her as his answer. She pulled away, gently placing her hands on his wrists and pulled them down from her face. She moved her fingers from his wrists to his hands and held them for a moment.

They stared into each others eyes for a moment, one long moment. She tore her eyes away, and abruptly began walking to the school, her thoughts now completely focused on Melissa. She heard him behind her. Edward easily caught up with her.

The doors were locked as Edward tried to open them. It slipped his mind that the school locked all doors except one, which was locked with a teachers' staff key. He hadn't enough time to acquire a key. He was about to pull the door open, but that would set off the alarm. But, he had to try. Bella quickly grabbed his wrist, stopping him from his act. "I got this…" she stated coolly with a smile. Her eyes closed and she rested her palm on the door, right above the lock. It took a few seconds, but she concentrated with ease. Edward heard a faint clicking noise, faint, yet he could hear it just perfectly. She then opened the door, with a smile. "See-" but her sentence was stopped. There was a sound, a siren. And the fire alarm lights in the hallway went off. They were doubling as security lights, flashing to know there was an intruder in the building. She quickly stepped inside the school. "Edward, quick, give me a boost." She ordered in a loud whisper. Without warning, he took old of her heel, and lifted her up near the wall. She took strong hold of a flashing fire alarm light and concentrated. She wasn't very experienced with messing with electrical objects, but she could pray that her brands could come through. As she closed her eyes, a vision of wires fell through her mind, and she could see the inside of the light on the back of her eye lids. There was a spark of electricity and the alarm stopped.

When Edward was sure that the siren had stopped, he let her down. "Do you think anyone heard?" she asked as she watched him close th door.

He closed his own eyes this time. He opened them and looked to her. "I don't hear any fuss and I don't hear anyone thinking of it either," he answered her. She took a deep breath. "It's because the school is so far from any residents that they didn't hear. And all the shops are closed and every one's in bed so…"

"I get it, thank you." She smiled, and pulled on his shoulder as she led him a certain way. "Can you hear anyone's thoughts… Melissa's, I mean." She looked up at him with hopeful eyes. He shook his head no. She sighed reluctantly. "Then I guess we're off."

They continued on with no lead, wandering aimlessly. "Whatever happens, Bella, we don't need to get separated." He rubbed her lower back soothingly as he was now leading her. They were quietly walking along, glancing into class rooms' windows.

"_Don't get separated_, got it." she replied.

They reached a set of double doors. She sped up just a bit, but Edward was forced back. Furrowing her eyebrows, she peered back to see what was wrong, but only for the doors to be slammed in her face. "Edward!" she called. "Edward!" What had just happened? Did he just lock her up? "Edward, what just happened?!" It was a desperate plea. Not only did he come against her wishes, but she couldn't get to him as she pulled on the door relentlessly, calling for Edward. Suddenly, catching her by surprise, it was as if something attacked the door, for a large bulge formed abruptly. Edward was trying to get through the door and he could not.

"Poor, poor Bella…" It was Drakes voice. She pulled away from the door, as if it were burning on fire. Drake was doing something. He deliberately split them up. She stood, in the middle of the dark hallway, rotating helplessly, searching for any sign of Drake. A light came on only flicker, not helping the ominous aura. His voice sounded again. "Well, looks like we've been separated from our knight in shining armor…literally…he shines…" His wicked laugh echoed through the hallways. But the way his voice sounded was so familiar, the way it echoed throughout the hallway…

He was on the loud speaker! She realized this abruptly. And the only way to get to the loud speaker was in the front office. The principal didn't even have a microphone in his office. Her first day back, when she had to go receive her form for all her teachers to fill out, she saw the principal make the announcements in the front office. So, that's where Drake was. But, could she get to the office from where she was? Yes! She could, she realized. She began running. She could turn and go down the math hall and cut to the office.

She ran. She ran and it would have made her gym coach back in Phoenix proud as hell. If she could just run faster…. But the earth shook, causing her to tumble. She saw the lockers rumble as they shook open, students' books flying out everywhere. It was as if an earthquake. The tile floor below her was quaking! She stumbled onto her feet. She tumbled many times as she tried to walk on the quaking tile. The glass to the class room doors broke. She had just a little ways to go. She was on her last hall, and now her last fifty feet of floor to go. She could see the door to the front office. But the quaking earth stopped. She paused, as if expecting more quaking. She stood for two whole minutes. When she was sure nothing else was to come, she ran, heading for the office once again.

She slid on the last amount of tile, her converse not causing very much friction. She stumbled into the office. The fan that the receptionist used all of the time was blowing. A flyer flew past the microphone; the microphone that had no Drake. Her heart dropped. The quaking was only to make sure she didn't catch him. If only she had had Edward… But it then hit her. Hadn't she just circled the school? She was at the front again? That means…

She ran out of the front office at a speed non-noticeable to humans. She rounded the corner where she was separated from Edward. Once she rounded it, she saw nothing but a desolate dead end. The dent was still in the door. Her heart broke in half. She hadn't an idea where he was. Something could have happened. Drake may have him now. Bella trusted Edward, but she wasn't familiar with the vampire race yet, and she wasn't sure what all Drake could do. But with Drake and Edward…possibly together, she wasn't going to take any chances.

The wind blew. _That's nice…_ she thought. _But wait,_ she corrected herself_, wind doesn't blow on the insi…. _She looked to her right. The front door was still open. She could have sworn that Edward had closed the door when they came in. He left. She wasn't sure if her heart could have broken anymore that night, but she was wrong. But this time, not of disappointment, but of fright. She wasn't worried about abandonment. She would be more than happy if Edward had decided to sit this one out after all. Though, she knew. She knew. He wasn't leaving. He wasn't abandoning her. And he sure as hell wasn't sitting this one out. He was searching for help. He was gone to get the other Cullens.

She didn't want to endanger them as well. Yes, she didn't know them, but that was no excuse. She didn't want them to get hurt. Though, what were seven vampires against one evil tattoo guy–murderer? But, she was told to go alone, wasn't she? What would Melissa do? Drake already knew that she was with Edward for that one moment. So, Melissa may be in more danger now than she was before Bella had even arrived. But what was she to do? But there was no _if's_ or _but's_. She had to figure out what she needed to do. Before her mind could even think of what needed to be done she heard the screech of wheels. She knew that Edward loved to drive at ridiculous speeds, and if it was a vampire thing, than the Cullens did as well.

Her heart almost beat out of her chest when she saw them pulling into the parking lot. Without thinking, she walked up to the doors, but the door slammed, and it locked itself. The glass of the doors as well as the security glass fogged. Her breath caught in her lungs and her eyes went wide. Confusion struck her, but she remembered how Drake was in the building with her, most likely watching every move she made somehow. She stroked one finger on the foggy glass. It was fogging on the outside, forbidding any sight. But she doubted anyone would be able to wipe the barrier away. So she walked away instead.

"Bella!" She turned back to the doors abruptly, hearing Edward's voice. She saw his blurred figure through the glass. She could find a way to let him in or she could continue on like Drake had demanded. It would be safer for both Melissa and the Cullens that way. So she did. She walked away, muffling out Edward's calls with her determination to keep him safe. "Bella!"

She would have expected tears to fall, but they didn't. Her face hardened. This is where her self-training came in. She blocked everything out. She left Edward, soon to return Melissa, but whether Bella would be able to _escape_ or not like Mia had told her may have been impossible. Bella wasn't sure if she would be able to escape Drake this time, either. Leaving the Cullens suddenly seemed like a crime. They could help her. But Bella wasn't going to be selfish. She was going to save Melissa, but she would have to leave the rest up to fate from there.

She couldn't hear Edward's voice any longer. She was in the math hall again, directly in the middle. She closed her eyes. If she only had that book, she would be able to find out more about Drake. But she read his entire life story! His _eternity story_ was more fitting as the title. He liked dark places, where he could not be found. _Well, she knew she wouldn't find him in the broom closets_. Where else was there? Did the school even have an attic? But it had a basement! In one of the janitor's closets was a door to the basement. All she had to do was to take a guess (or many) of which janitor's closet to search in. Well, on the socials studies hallway, there were a lot of students coming out of one closet in particular. Maybe they had a little spot in the basement to skip class and to enjoy…other activities.

It was decided. She turned and made her way to the social studies hallway. She made it to the closet in less than a minute. The door was locked, oddly. What, would someone steal toilet paper? She unlocked the door, and pushed the door open. She didn't see a door. All she saw were shelves and shelves of cleaning supplies. But, she couldn't give up, could she? She began wiping the shelves clean, not caring to what the janitor would think. She just knocked everything to the floor, not even taking care of equipment. Eventually, once she was on the last shelve, she saw a piece of round metal. It was a doorknob. She turned to the side of the bookcase and knocked it down, a loud clash sounding. Surely the Cullens heard that. This would cause them to quicken their haste.

She opened the door. Oddly, and backwardly, it swung inside. It revealed a set of stairs leading down into darkness, like in an old haunted house. She was sure that she would find the school basement haunted forever. She grazed the sides of the walls, trying to find a light. She could not feel any switch.

"Bella!" She heard. She turned back to look at the janitor's closet door. It was Edward's voice. She needed to hurry. She kept grazing the walls with her fingertips to find the switch. _There may be a chain to pull_, she thought. She began to search the air, then, looking for a chain to pull and cause light to spread throughout the forbidden basement.

Suddenly, the door slammed behind her, sending her off balance. She tumbled down the stairs. Pain shot through her as each step caught her and pained her in the face, the back, and the sides. She landed on the ground and rolled onto her back, groaning. Once she came again, she noticed a candle. It was lit. Pain shot through her at the sight of the flame. She didn't know why, but maybe it was because Drake was down here. Then it hit her. Drake had caused her to fall. He was down there with her, probably mere feet away (closer than he has ever been since that night when she was sixteen).

Her heart began to speed. She heard muffled noises. She looked up. It pained her lean up, but she did. The basement was dimly lit with candles, variously placed throughout the area. Bella had never been in the basement before. The light orange dimness was not going to help her, and she did not have the blueprint of the basement to go on her side, either. As she scaled the walls with her eyes, she saw Melissa, tied up in a corner. She apparently was suffering from a hangover, because she was leaning her head down, but tears were still streaming down her face. She was confused and most likely had the worst goodness forsaken headache.

Bella was motivated. She got up, flinching at the pain, but continued on. She removed the cloth from Melissa's mouth to allow her to speak. Once she did, all the words flowed out. "Bella, you have to get me out. He's gonna do to me what he did to all those girls..." she said. Hot tears streamed down her tearstained cheeks, and she choked out her cries as she spoke. "He's gonna kill you too. You've gotta untie, me…please…" she squeaked out the last word, unable to plead anymore. She probably had been pleading to Drake then entire night.

Bella wasn't going to let what became of her become of Melissa. She quickly began to work on the ties to which restrained Melissa to the chair. "Now, now, my dear, sweet, loving Bella…" He spoke his words fully, slowly, and menacingly. She stopped on Melissa's ties. Melissa let out a slight, silent scream. Bella muffled them with her palm, so as not to attract any unwanted attention to Melissa. "Now, if she told you to jump off a bridge, would you?"

"Depends, would you go kill yourself?" She shot back, unsure of where he was. She was cold. And after being raped, murdered, beaten, and tortured, she didn't exactly plan on acting all lady-like and using manners for him either. The toe of his boots stepped out of the shadows. Then, finally he took another step, revealing his full body. His trench coat was now removed. He smiled his menacing smile, the smile he wore the night he tortured her.

"Please, Bella, don't be…" – he made a hand gesture. She was sent against the wall, colliding with it with great force – "rude. It's not a good" – he twisted his wrist, and pain was sent through her abdomen – "impression." She sat there, perched up against the wall. A wail came from Melissa. Bella looked to her worriedly as she saw Drake approach her. "Do not" – he ripped the cloth from her mouth – "scream. Screaming will get you killed!" He pointed to Bella. "That's what happened to her! You don't want to become a soulless pit of bitchiness, do you!?" She shook her head forcefully no. He did have plans to do to do to Melissa what he did to Bella, after all.

"You son of bitch," she whispered to herself. She forced herself upward. She stopped. She heard a banging.

"Bella!" It was Edward…_again!!_ _That boy just will not leave me alone_, she thought meanly.

"Well, well, well," Drake chanted, "an unwelcome visitor. Looks like we're just gonna have to get rid of them. She was forced back to the wall as the sensation of quaking return, like earlier. She heard a squeal, most likely from Alice.

She had to stop this. What could she do besides unlock locks and change the colors of jackets? _I can manipulate matter, but I also have five years of defense lessons. And he's got…oh say…a million of black magic… _She didn't know what to call it, so until she knew what to call it, she'd settle with _black magic._

His eyes were locked on the door. She took this time to advance. She advanced toward him. "Hey, Drake," she called. He looked to her. She punched him. Clean and Simple. She punched him hard, though. He swayed as if dizzy. She never doubted her punches. He bent down, holding his face. She punched him in his stomach, causing a groan of pain to come from him. "Bitch!" He yelled. He lifted his arm up to make a gesture that would most likely to send her against the wall again, or the quake the floor. She grabbed his wrist and seared him.

"Something gives me the idea that you did this!" she yelled at him angrily. "You're the one that cursed me with these!" Her searing him became more intense. He yelled in pain once again.

"Fine, then. I've been playing dirty for centuries," he retorted leaning up. He grabbed her by the throat. He began to choke her. Her hands took hold of his wrists, begging for hair. He had her wind pipe in his palm, forbidding air, and it hurt. She became dizzy. Her vision went black.

((xxx))

She was on the same, blood smeared floor. Drakes distorted figure was seen above her. His hands were at her throat. He was focusing all her wait onto her throat. Her shirt was torn, her hair was a mess, she couldn't breath, and she could barely see. His teeth were clenched and he was muttering some angry, goodness forsaken words. "Don't…you…dare…" It was something along those lines, she thought. Her vision blurred. And her wounds ached. She was still bleeding. And then she came back.

((xxx))

"Emmet, try to break through," Edward ordered. Emmet backed up several feet. He then charged for the already badly abused door. It was this time, successful. He almost fell down the stairs, but easily caught himself. Edward quickly passed him. He saw Bella on the floor, in a lifeless state. "Bella!" he cried worriedly. With his cries, he caught Drake's attention. He new it was Drake, because he could see in the dark just fine, and the man looked exactly like the one Bella referred to as Drake from the warehouse. A growl emitted from within his chest and he charged, in a matter of speaking.

Edward tackled Drake to the ground. He growled. "Well, well, looks like she has the vampire boyfriend to come and save the day…" Drake sneered from beneath Edward.

Emmet's big voice boomed. "We've got it Edward; help Bella." He and Jasper both lifted up Drake by the arms, securing him in their grasps.

"Bella, Bella," Edward said, as he held her head in his lap. He hadn't an idea whether she was dead or alive, for her heart didn't beat when she was in a dream state. "Bella, please, please…" he chanted to himself in a whisper. Slowly, her eyes drifted open.

He helped her up. "I was in a dream state," she explained. She looked up to see all of the Cullens in the basement. Carlisle, Esme, Rosalie, Alice, Emmet, and Jasper. Carlisle had Melissa, his hand on her shoulder, keeping her calm. Surely, Jasper had a part in the calming as well.

But, it seemed as Jasper felt the anger coming from Bella. "Oh, no," he stated. "Emmet, let go," he requested.

"No, why?" He turned to see Bella charging for them.

"Let go of him Emmet," she ordered.

"Did I miss something?" He exclaimed as he backed away from the frightful sight of Bella marching toward Drake.

She quickly punched him…again. She once again kicked him, but this time got farther. She elbowed his back causing him to collapse to the ground. She kicked him from there. "Now, trying to kill girls," she kicked him, "isn't exactly the healthiest extra curricular activity, you know! Why couldn't you just watch anime internet porn like every other pathetic excuse of a human being?" She grabbed his throat and pushed him against the wall, searing him. "Don't…mess with me anymore. When I can kill you, trust me, I will!" She let go of him and backed up to where Edward was standing.

"You can't kill me!" he breathed, holding his pained stomach.

"Well, all I've gotta do is find your book, and then, I'm kinda good," she remarked.

His eyes went wide. Edward hadn't a clue what she was talking about, but it sounded like she was about to let him go. Then, he was gone. In a cloud of mist, he was gone.

"What the hell just happened?" Emmet demanded aloud to everyone, confused and unsure.

"She let him get away…" Edward explained.

"It's not like I could kill him," she stated.

"That doesn't matter, you let him go…" was all Emmet could say. _Pretty weak, don't you think,_ he thought.

"Emmet," Edward scolded, his features serious.

"I have a plan to get him killed, don't worry. It'll take a while, but it's pretty full proof."

"Not to be rude, Bella," Jasper butted in, "but what exactly is your plan?" He wasn't rude at all, mostly concerned.

She turned around to stare at them all. She was next to Melissa and was about to take her home. "Not to die," she answered simply. She grabbed hold on Melissa's arm gently. She was still shaken up, and she could tell. She draped Melissa's arm over her shoulder. She noticed a limp a few seconds ago. She helped her up the stairs. "I've got to get her home. Sorry, I'll call you, Edward." She didn't even look back. She was too angry at Drake.

((xxx))

She pulled Melissa through the school. It was still dark, but she could see the dawn shining through the windows of the class room. Happiness built up in her. A segment of Drake had passed, and she was welcomed by the sun. She also saw little lights dancing on the floor, as if from flashlights. A man in a dark suit revealed himself from around the corner. It was a policeman. "Hey, stop where you are!" He ordered. He then noticed Melissa on her limp, and Bella's dirty bleeding face she had gotten from the falling tile when the floor quaked. "Hey, are you alright?"

"Yeah," Bella replied. "We're the only ones." She added. "We're fine."

"Bella," Melissa whispered, "but Edward…"

"Edward and his family will get out just fine. You worry about you." She was serious and sincere. She would never be able to forgive herself for what she caused for Melissa.

The Policeman led them out to the front of the school. It was cold and it was foggy. Police cars were barely visible. Their lights were flashing with no sirens, and the cars could hardly be seen. Bella saw her father walking up to her. "Bella, what happened?" They were now fully outside. The other Policeman sat them at an ambulance.

"How did you guys…" Melissa started.

"There was a fire, and there was a break in at the school. Did you two have anything to do with this?" He sounded disbelieving.

"No dad," her words were a little harsh. But she softened them. "No, we didn't… we were victims. I'll explain it later."


	11. Epilogue

Branded: Epilogue

BUT, SHE WAS IN THE LIGHT NOW, OUT OF THE BASEMENT. Who knows if Edward would ever speak to her again, because she didn't show much gratitude, and she let Drake get away. But Drake was hers. She wasn't sure if she wanted to get the Cullens involved anyway. And maybe caring for Edward wasn't the best of all. He cared for her. And if he cared for her enough, he wouldn't take what happened down there seriously. The first Drake saga was over. She and Melissa were safe, but something was bound to happen. Drake was bound to return. And something deep in Bella's stomach told her that something else was coming, and something dangerous.

She sat in the back of the ambulance, Melissa strapped in onto the cart. Her mother was now walking up to the ambulance. She asked Bella what happened. Bella wasn't sure whether she wanted to tell the story again, the same story she told the police and the same story she told Charlie. It may have unsettled Melissa's mother.

"Thank you," her mother praised as Bella wrapped her blanket around her tighter and began off.

She wanted a shower. She needed one. The fog was so thick, she could barely see. She heard a honk of a horn. That reminded her. How did the Cullens move their cars so fast without getting caught? But she should have learned not to underestimate the Cullens by now. She smiled. She could see his shiny silver Volvo. She began towards it. He opened his door and stepped out and began towards her.

Once they reached one another, he spoke. "You've got some explaining to do…" he said.

"I know," she answered in a breaking voice. "But I need to get home."

But the last thing on anyone's mind was the pain searing through her arm. Of course no one ever knew of the pain, but it still should have been obvious, her wringing her wrists the way she did. But, Edward noticed. As he walked her over to her father to tell her she was leaving, he reached into his jacket pocket and handed her a packet of salt. "Here…" he caught her attention and she smiled at the gesture.

"Wow, first flirting while stealing text books, and now flirting by giving me salt," she laughed, as did he. "How traditional."

He placed his hand on her lower back. "Something tells me this relationship isn't going to be a traditional one." He smiled his crooked smile.


	12. Ahem Continue? Yes?

HAHA, FOOLED YOU.

No, I'm kidding. I just put an original version of Branded up on my Fiction Press account. Some of you may be like, "Yay, she finally got up off of her lazy butt and did something productive!" Some of you may be like, "You liar! This isn't a chapter update!" To those of the first half, yes I have. To those of the second half, I'm sorry. I understand if the original version doesn't interest you whatsoever, but in an original there are no boundaries. I started the story during an exciting time, because this way it's easier for me to build story plot. Or in other words – I'm working back wards. I know! I'm sorry! You'll enjoy it nonetheless and it's not like I'm spoiling anything. Psh. I hate spoilers.

On my profile.

There is a link.

To my originals.

If you are interested in this read GO, FOLLOW IT NOW.

If not, again I'm sorry, and I understand. I still hope you have a fantabulous day, and I'm sorry about my lying-update-author's note thing.

P.S. Oh my God. I'm such a liar. I just red "Application" at the end of Deathly Distress. If any of you hate me, lol, no wonder. xD I wasn't going to finish this. I must have been VERY optimistic that day. Do any of you know how much I make fun of Twilight? Who hacked in and posted that on my account? Oh my God. Anyway, ignore application. xD


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